Departed
by JazzTheCookieMonster
Summary: Gail, an undercover cop straight out of the academy infiltrating a biker gang. Holly her usually nerdy forensic pathologist self, slight AU. Possibly slow burn, hopefully Office Lunchbox. T for now, may change.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, so yeah… this is my first attempt at any sort of fan fiction! I've been reading them for a while and these last few weeks I've gone through a break up and some horrible exams and I guess you could say officer lunchbox/golly has become my own personal form of soppy escapism and I've been reading this stuff faster than its being updated so… now IM FREE! Exams are over, its summer, I've got 6 weeks of doing absolutely nothing until I start my internship and as much as I enjoy lazing in the so called British sun, drinking cider and watching rugby I thought I would give this writing stuff a crack. **  
**Okay so please be kind, English is my first language but I'm severely dyslexic and I do a maths degree so I don't write often. If you notice any errors or mistakes please message me or something! Criticism is (kinda) appreciated, preferably positive will try to include any suggestions too.**

**On with the story- It's an AU, kinda using an idea from the film Departed, Undercover Cop straight out of the academy. Holly will appear… eventually. Possibly slow burn, hopefully Office Lunchbox.**

Chris, Andy, Dov and Traci and a few others of the top tier recruits fighting for places in 15th division were sat around one table chatting about her.  
"I wonder why she wasn't there?" Andy asked curiously to the group.  
"Hopefully they kicked her out."  
"Shut up Dov," Chris snapped back "She's not that bad once you get to know her."  
"When did you start defending her?"  
Probably when they started sleeping together, thought Gail, maybe she shouldn't have been listening in, but then again maybe they shouldn't be talking about her.

"They wouldn't kick her out" Traci jumped in, saving Chris from a very awkward explanation.  
"Give a guy some hope" Dov muttered under his breathe.  
"Its probably to do with her parents" Andy chipped in, answering her own question.  
Gail couldn't stand it any more, she round the corner and entered the room, boxes in hand. The group went silent, Traci nudged Andy who was mid rant about how having family high up in the force was a major advantage.  
Chris stood up and quickly made his way round to her,  
"Can I help?"  
"I don't need any help from you" She snapped back instinctively, regretting it almost straight away, Chris had showed her kindness regardless of how much of a bitch she had been to all of them.  
"What's with the boxes?" Dov practically shouted across the cafeteria, alerting everyone who wasn't already staring to the situation.  
Gail glared at him, his sudden outburst of confidence disappeared rapidly as he sunk into his chair avoiding the hate being thrown his way.  
"What the fuck do you think? And why the fuck do you care? Oh wait, that's right you only care cause I'm your competition right?' !" Slamming her box down on the table beside them. "Well you don't have to fucking worry about that any more, I'm outta here," she zeroed in on Dov. "And you, well you better hope I never see you again, cause there's nothing stopping me from kicking your ass now."  
This was the only part she had looked forward to, the scared expression on Dov's face, he had been such a dick to her from the second he found out her last name, she couldn't help who her parents were. Chris tugged on her arm trying to get her to turn around  
"Get off me Chris!" She said as she span around and shoving Chris away. He stumbled back a few paces, Gail was stronger than she looked, his face dropped immediately, he looked so crushed. She didn't want to hurt him, but she had orders, she had to do this, she had to make it seem like she was leaving and not coming back.

* * *

She arrived at the office 5 minutes early, she was meant to be in a briefing with the rest of the recruits, they were being told the details of their passing out parade.  
"Hello, can I help?" asked the lady behind the desk, she was an older lady, in her late 50s. The way she sat, her calm demeanour, how she spoke, Gail knew she must have been a cop at one point.  
"Yes, Peck, Gail. I have an appointed at 12 with Garret."  
"You're a few minutes early, but he's expecting you, please go through."  
Suddenly the nerves hit her, why was she here? She reached the door, took a moment to compose her self and walked in.  
"Sir I,.."  
"Peck," Garret was stood behind his desk, hunched over a pile of paper work his uniform shirt unbuttoned at the top, his hair a mess, sweat building on his brow. "Good you're here, sit…" Looking up at her through his eyebrow not moving his head, "..please" he added.  
"Of course sir."  
He tapped the desk a few times with his fist before he finally moved back off the desk, "I guess you're wondering why you're here?"  
"Yes." She was sat upright, fighting herself to remain as professional as possible; good posture had been drilled into her in the Peck household, her hands were flat on legs just above her knees, and she was trying her hardest not to fidget.  
A million things were running through her head, this was the end, the last week of the academy, everyone who wasn't up the challenge had already been asked to leave, in some cases forcefully so, she couldn't be one of them.  
She had been trained for this her entire life, physically she was in great shape, she worked out every day, yoga every morning, followed by the gym and swimming, I mean she had abs. Academically she had always had to study hard but kept straight As through high school, she knew multiple languages, French, sign language and Spanish. And mentally Gail knew how to keep her cool.  
She couldn't be being asked to leave, that wasn't a possibility, she was a Peck, she HAD to be a cop, it was in her blood.  
"Peck, we need your help."

* * *

**Okay so lemme know what you think, is it worth continuing? **


	2. Chapter 2- Crunch

**Ah so I wrote this chapter yesterday along with the outline for the next 3 chapters and then decided a trip to pub was in order. And well fuck me, I didn't save it and managed to loose it. So drunk me decided to attempt to write it again from memory. I have proof read it and added a bit more detail but its not as well written as I had hoped it would be! Sorry. **  
**I will save in future!**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

She pulled up, dust kicking up in her face, it would be a nightmare to park here once the ice came once the snow settled. She looked a lot the lot, Harleys and Choppers surrounded the bar, all customised. **_DEVIL's Whore_** was written above the entrance to the bar written in what looked like scrap metal but it was more likely the wreckage of bike crashes. _There is surveillance, _she kept telling herself. The van was less than a mile away, they had tapped into all the cameras in the bar, _there is surveillance _she repeated again_. _She took one last calming breath; _you know what you have to do._ Her training finally kicked in, she pushed open the door and quickly made it to the bar.  
"What can I get you blondie?"  
"Tequila. Beer."  
"What, no please?" the bartender asked whilst checking her out unabashedly.  
She slammed a note down on the bar.  
"Tequila. Beer. Now" She repeated.

She downed her shot chasing it with the beer and made her way down to the bottom of the bar, sliding her wallet into her back pocket and taking a stool. The bar was mainly full of woman, woman who liked to think of themselves as strong independent woman, but all she saw was an angry bunch of women trying to prove something, too much eyeliner, too much denim and leather, _this is what I have to become. _ She could see most of the bar from here, one side of the entrance two pool tables and a dart's board, the other side a dodgy looking hallway leading to the toilet.  
The rest of the bar was a mix match of tables and booths, the booth in the middle far wall was the busiest and the loudest. She was trying to make a note of everyone's faces, remembering something distinctive.  
Suddenly she was very aware that someone was watching her, talking about her. She looked down the bar and spotted two women talking to the bartender. A smaller petite woman, with blonde spikey hair, but her muscular showing, rippling muscles along her arms as she spoke animatedly with the bartender, she seemed jumpy, hyper, _she seems dangerous. _ The other woman was taller, almost 6 foot, board shoulders and stoic, hardly moving the entire time. _They're talking about me I need to leave_.

She quickly finished off her beer, and turned to leave as she noticed the petite woman was right next to her, basically between her legs as she slid off the bar stool.  
"Oh sorry there blondie" the petite woman said as she slipped round her.  
She didn't reply, just eyed the door and started to move when she felt it. She felt the lift. What happened next felt like seconds, it was all instinct.

* * *

"Peck, we need your help." Her head was spinning, help? She wasn't being asked to leave, they wanted her, _they needed her.  
_"Jerry!" She must have zoned out for a second because she didn't hear the door behind her open or Detective Barber enter. She shot up from her chair,  
"Sir," She straightened her posture, her boots hitting together.  
"Peck no need for formalities," he waved his hand at her. "Sit down we're gonna be here a while if it goes well."  
_If._

Gail finally found her voice "I'm sorry but what is this all about?"  
"Have you ever heard of the Devil's Whore gang?" Garret asked.  
"They're based just outside of Toronto" Jerry added.  
"Yes, I've passed their bar a few times with my parents, they pointed it out." Her parents always wanted to her to know the hotspots around the city. And any family thing was just another opportunity to train her, she wasn't allowed to be the family fuck up, not with the family business.  
"Well they've been your typical biker gang up til now."  
"Petty crimes; assault, theft, possession." Jerry listed off  
"We've never been able to get them for again major, never been able to connect them all."  
"Gun running, drugs they own personal form of outlaw justice." Jerry spat out the last few words.

They exchanged a look, Garret nodding at Jerry like he was egging him on.  
"You said until now" Their heads both shot up to her, "Just then, typical biker stuff until now."  
Jerry started nodding to himself, "We have intel which makes us believe they are planning some…"He was struggling for the word  
"Expansion," Garret finished for him. "And we want someone on the inside."  
They were both looking at her again, _they want me_, _they want me undercover, they want me undercover in a major op.  
_"You want me?" Her voice was giving her away, she was nervous, scared even. They both just nodded. "I'm not even out of the academy, I have no undercover experience."  
"Which is why you're prefect for it." Garret interrupted.  
"And you'd only be half undercover."  
"What, sorry what do you mean half undercover?"  
"We want you to go in, as Gail Peck."  
"What?!" Gail was laughing, it was a half forced hysterical laugh, they couldn't be serious. "Oh hey guys, I'm Gail wanna-be cop, want to let me in your gang and tell me all your secrets." She didn't mean to be so cynical, sarcasm came so easily to her.

Garret was not impressed, "Miss Peck." His voice was authoritative, she had over stepped.  
"I'm sorry sir, I.."  
"No." Jerry quickly intervened, "No don't be sorry, Garret she's right, if we sent her in now like this. Gail we want to twist your history, your connections. Your past, a few minor infarctions and arrests swept under the rug by your mother." Gail visibly stiffened, _they knew about that.  
_"Gail they're minor, we all make mistakes when we're young."  
Some more than others, especially when your mother is super intendant of the Toronto police force, rebellion has a cost.

"We want to make these minor things a big deal" garret finally spoke again, " We want to kick you out the academy, imply you never really got past the application, bring up your past, discredit you in ever way we can."  
"Then plant you in the gang, it will take a while, its long haul on this type of op," Jerry's tone was cautious, _he's warning me. _  
"I'm in."  
"It'll be over…. Sorry what?"  
"I said I'm in."  
Jerry looked between Garret and Gail in disbelief.  
"I told you," Garret just nodded.  
"You know what this means, for you, your friends, your family, none of them can know that you're undercover Gail, they have to think that this is truly you.  
She didn't really have any friends, and she'd love the chance to piss off her mother.  
"We have more details to go over, you need to know how the op will be ran, who to contact and when you can."  
"When would we start?" Gail asked.  
"Today," Jerry answered not missing a beat. "The second you leave this office."

* * *

She grabbed the wrist of the smaller woman and twisted it hard, eyeing her wallet as it was held in the air.  
"That's mine" She finally spoke but next thing she knew there was a strong poking in her back.  
"Are you sure about that?" the taller woman was behind her, breathing down her neck, a knife pushing up against her hip. She knew what she needed to do, get her off balance, disarm her, use her body weight against her. She used her speed to her advantage, she managed to push the taller woman's arm away and slip under it whilst pushing the woman's shoulder down, she slammed her head against the bar and the twisted her wrist so the blade was facing upwards at such an angle that she had to release it.  
"LET. HER. GO" A voice boomed across the bar.  
If anyone wasn't already aware of what was going on, they were now, the bar was silent, all eyes on her, _FUCK. _  
She dare not move, "That belongs to me," She bopped her head towards her wallet still being held high by the petite woman, her other hand rubbing at her wrist where it had been twisted so violently.

There was the sound of chairs scrapping against the floor, parting a path for this woman, and then finally a sigh.  
"We do not steal from our own. We do not steal from our guests. In this bar we are all friends, otherwise you leave." The owner of this voice was a leader, perhaps _the leader.  
_The taller woman was struggling, but the more she did the tighter the hold became the more painful she made it for herself.

"JO." Her voice echoed across the bar, "Did you take it?"  
"I… ermm… I… I didn't…" the petite woman's voice, Jo, was easily an octave higher than the strong booming voice of the woman behind her. She can only imagine the look Jo received as next thing she knew her wallet was back down on the bar being pushed towards her.  
"And now you," She knew she was being addressed, it was like a teacher disciplining a naughty child, it reminded her a bit of her mother, "You, let her go."  
She started to relax her grip and the second the taller woman got free she grabbed her by her jacket and threw her against the bar. She was finally face on with the woman who had been speaking, she was an older woman, looked liked she had lived a hard life, most people would have put her in her 50s but in reality she was probably just into her 40s, large build but not tall and although she was carrying a bit of weight you could see the outline of muscle on her arms and the way her jeans curved around obviously strong thighs.  
"We may not allow stealing in this bar, but I can't allow you to throw my girls around, Mason do your thing" she addressed her directly, looking her straight in the eyes.  
This is one of the last clear memories she has of that night, just before the first punch connected with her face and the crunch that followed.

_Not subtle Gail. Not fucking subtle.  
_

* * *

_**Maybe i should drunk right more often, could get interesting! **_  
_**Hopefully will be able to update tomorrow. Thanks for all the follows/favs :) **_


	3. Chapter 3- Big Day

Chapter 3- Big day

**Trying to keep the updates quite regular so chapters aren't quite as long as they could be. Sorry if this is the second time you've seen this chapter, it got uploaded in HTML the first time, probably my bad. Anyway enjoy! **

* * *

She splashed some water over her face again trying to wake herself up, it was 5am and Gail was not a morning person. Both her hands were on the sink she slumped over it, she felt broken, _maybe I am broken_. It had been three months since that first night in the bar; it still felt odd looking in the mirror. It had taken a week just for all the bruises to show, two weeks for her to breathe without pain, over a month for her to do anything strenuous and even now she could see the faint bump in her nose from the resetting of the break and the little scar just above her right eyebrow. She sighed to herself, _its not me, this is not me, _pushing herself off the sink she made her way to the coffee machine in the kitchen, she was just getting through her second mug when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, _you're not alone._

She waited a second to confirm her suspicious, "Hey Jo." She called out over her shoulder not even bothering to turn around.  
"GOD DAMMIT GAIL! I hadn't even got past the hallway." It was a game she liked to play, Gail was sure it had started off more like a way of tailing and keeping tabs on her but now she was just determined to catch Gail off guard.  
"Well that's further than the building's hallway, maybe I'm losing my touch"  
Jo was jumping around, bouncy on the spot, waving her hands around in frustration, obviously attempting to figure out how Gail noticed her, even at 5 in the morning she was hyper as ever.  
"You going to tell me where we're going yet." She only half asked, she wasn't expecting any answer other than no.  
"Yes."  
_This is it._

* * *

She was groggy, everything hurt and she could taste blood, her blood, where was it coming from? She tried and failed to move her arms, they were tried behind her back_, come on Gail remember you're training, where are you?_She tried to work out her surroundings but everything was so blurry, she had obviously taken a hard beating, _what was the last thing you remember,_the hit, in the bar being punched in the face, _by_ _Mason that fucking bitch_**. **Now obviously several hits further, she was tied up in a dark room, _great_.  
She was just starting to drift out of conscious when she heard voices, _fight it! Stay awake._  
"Her name's Peck" _They know, that was fast,_although she had no idea how long she had been there. "family business seems to be the police, but she's got a history of theft, some affiliations to a few known drug dealers and a possession charge all in her file, doesn't look like she's joining the force anytime soon, application to the academy made all this shit very public, family and some others got in some serious shit for trying to make it disappear, and since then she's been MIA for 6 months."  
_They know it all._**  
**"So you don't think she was sent her?" It was the authoritative voice from before, the commanding voice in the bar.  
"No, she never got in the academy let alone graduated, my best guest she's a spoilt brat still not grown out of the rebellious phase and she's just here to stir up some more shit for her family."  
"I don't know, " another person was there. "Not many people could take that kind of beating for just being a spoilt brat, no crying, no begging, hell she laughed at me once."  
"I'm pretty sure I saw her spit on you too, something about 'never believing hitting like a girl was a thing until now'"  
"Shut the fuck up Smithy."  
"GIRLS! Both of you shut the fuck up, we need to call a meeting, decide what were going to do with her."  
"We can't make her disappear, her family may hate her right now but they're still cops."  
"We could just threaten her, tell her never to come back, maybe rough her up a bit move, or slip her a few roofies maybe something stronger she might not remember."  
"Or you could just give me a job." Gail stood there, in the doorway between the garage and the main bar playing with the rope she was tied up with between her hands with three very shocked faces looking back at her.

* * *

It was a big day, _a great day,_ she had jumped out of bed a good hour before she needed to be up, taking her time in the shower, might as well start the day off really well even if it was solo. She even treated herself to waffles and strawberries for breakfast. She was enjoying her last few bites whilst sipping on her coffee with the news on, her apartment was quiet, verging on sterile and it felt empty, usually it would bother her, _not today, today is a good day. _It was a slow news day, _unfortunately, _nothing big had happened over night the only thing they kept repeating was the weather warnings, a big snow storm was coming in, due for the weekend, it was only Thursday _remember to buy supplies tomorrow, _she liked to be prepared for the worse.

She was still running half an hour early, but then she was always half an hour early, she grabbed her keys and head to the lab, today was the day Holly Stewart would finally get her own case start to finish, today would be a great day.

* * *

"Yes?!" She coughed out, choking on her last sip of coffee.  
"It's a big job Gail, after this you're in, properly, you'll be on of us" she shook Gail by her shoulders for the last part for emphasis.  
"Where are we going?" _I need details.  
_"We need to get to the ferry docks by 5.30."  
"Shit Jo, we better get going it's nearly 10 past."  
"Reeeeelax, I'm driving! We'll be there in no time" She smiled back at her, she enjoyed teasing Gail.

True to her word Jo got them there before 5.30, Mason was already stood outside the door to a large warehouse, stoic as ever with her permanent frown. Jo practically skipped up to her, her voice giddy "Oooh hey Mase"  
"Don't call me that," No emotion behind her words.  
"Naaaaw I know you love it! Now gimme five!" she demanded throwing her hand up but Mason only rolled her eyes again.  
"Your loss," She laughed as she slapped Mason ass whilst entering the warehouse.  
Mason just sighed and nodded at Gail as she walked by.  
"Jo, Gail good you're here," Smithy greeted them as they entered, she was stood by two big shipping containers in the warehouse, the rest of the warehouse was empty except for a desk and chair in the far corner, _this is a big warehouse for two containers. _  
"Mel, they're here!" She shouted behind her. _The boss is here, this is really big. _  
"Good," her booming voice, as always, came back echoing in the large mostly empty warehouse. "The others will be here at 6," She came round the corner of the furthest container, in her usual jeans and club jacket attire holding a clipboard. "Jo I want you on the door with Mason, escort them in and stay with them, you stick to their sides at all times, you got me." Jo nodded, the rest of her staying remarkably still, she was only this calm around Mel.  
"Gail, I want you with me and Smithy, everything goes as plan and we'll be back at the club by 7."  
"with a fuck ton of money," Smithy adding grinning.  
"Yeah with a fuck ton on money, but we got to get through this first, there's not much trust here so safeties off but holstered, you only draw if you have to."  
_What the hell is in these containers and who is coming to get them. _

* * *

**Yay, Holly's here!  
Lemme know what you think as always, suggestions are welcome, follows/favs appreciated. **


	4. Chapter 4 - Becoming a member

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while been absolutely slammed this weekend (qualifying to become a coach just in case your interested) I've been writing this since Friday its pretty long struggled to find a place to cut it in half. But things are happening quickly. As always review, opinion, follow and favs are appreciated. **

Chapter 4 – Becoming a member

* * *

Gail had made the drop like she did every week, a newspaper left on a bench in the park, _very cloak and dagger, _the day before the warehouse. She got the message from Jerry back that afternoon, with a new meet point, **Diva**, she hadn't heard of it but a quick google search came up with some news pieces about their opening night a few weeks old and its address which was the other side of town. Jerry has set the meet for 11pm the next day, the day of the warehouse, she managed to slip out of the club bar by 10 saying she wanted an early one, with the day everyone had no one thought anything of it, she'd been up before 5, and all she wanted to do was go home and get drunk, _block it all out_. She kept checking on the ride over that she wasn't followed, as she pulled up outside the bar she couldn't help but notice the rainbow backdrop to the bar's sign, _what the hell Jerry._

She was early but hanging outside wasn't smart she needed to get off the street, she parked her bike round a side street and headed in. _Yep, it's a gay bar. _She went up to bar ordered a tequila and beer and made her way to booth in the quietest corner. The bar was packed, there was a DJ and fairly large dancefloor, complete with a pole, and a good mix of men and women. Women who kept looking at Gail. She was wearing her new club jacket, Devil's Whore and their logo all over her back, it fitted her well in all the right places, underneath a tight fitting plain black t-shirt, her usual dark denim jeans and combat boots, she looked good and she wasn't exactly throwing off a very straight vibe. Gail never really thought about the need to label her sexuality, people fell in love all the time, and others just needed to feel love for the night and whoever they choose to do that with was their business. And for her she thought women could be hot, but Gail liked simple, she didn't want to fall in love, pretty sure she couldn't she'd never open herself up to be hurt like that, she only wanted to feel good and men well they were good for that.

Gail checked her watch again it was only 10.45, she sighed and took another swig of her beer, she was just thinking about getting another one when someone sat down at her booth and start to slid round the bench toward her.  
"Hey there, thought you could use another one," Sliding a beer towards her. "I'm Lisa."  
"Thanks Lisa, but I'm waiting for someone." Gail tried her hardest to smile, this girl was just being friendly she didn't deserve the full Gail snark treatment.  
"Oh, well that's a pity, if it doesn't work out maybe you could come find me," it was a very flirtatious tone. "I'm sat over there with my friends." She pointed to a table a few metres away but really Gail had stopped paying attention to her the second she saw Jerry enter the bar.  
"I'm really sorry but my friend just came in," Gail kept her tone even, but her implication was strong, _go away. _  
"Right yeah, okay well it was nice meeting you," Gail started to push the beer back to her, "No, no, keep it."  
"Thanks."  
Just after Lisa left Jerry came strutting over, two beers in hand and slid into the booth getting close enough to Gail so that no one else could listen in.  
"Who was that?"  
"No one."  
"Looks like I didn't need to bring you another," he said nodding to her new bottle of beer.  
"Well I'll take that one too," She smiled as she snatched the other bottle from Jerry, it was her first genuine smile in days, she liked Jerry and it was moments like this when she actually felt like herself, when she remembered why she was doing this. "Why the fuck did you choose a gay bar?"  
"No one would think it was that odd if you didn't want to tell them we were coming here." He had a point, as per Jerry's request she had tried to keep her personal life as personal as possible, it would help the detachment, which meant no hook ups. "You said it was urgent," his tone was serious and his voice was hushed.  
Gail's smile dropped, "This is more serious than we thought Jerry, and it goes deeper than you could imagine."

* * *

"Come on! You need to celebrate and this will be fun! You never know you might even get lucky!" Lisa's overly cheerful voice echoed in the cab.  
"I didn't even get a case today though." Holly pointed out again. She was in the lab 6 and nothing new had come in! "And I'm technically on call! So I can't even drink!" She whined.  
"Doesn't matter! You need to celebrate it was still a promotion, no more working under someone, you get to all that gross dead body stuff all by yourself." Rachel shouted back from the front seat, the taxi driver turning slightly to eye her suspiciously. "EH calm down mate!" she huffed out over dramatically, "She's a pathologist not a murderer, and if you don't keep your eyes on the road it'll be our bodies on her slab." The bottle of wine she had at dinner was starting to show.  
"Okay I guess your both right, I mean sure I didn't get anything today but from now on I can and yeah you're right that's pretty cool and I'll probably miss having times like this when I can just hang and it be peaceful…"  
"Holly breath! God when you do that I feel myself get short of breathe."  
"I was rambling again?"  
"YES!" the both shouted before breaking into giggles. She did do it a lot and Lisa and Rachel had gotten used to it and didn't seem to mind it, they did however like to take the piss out of her when she started to go off on one.

"Right so where is it we're heading to again?"  
"Diva!" Rachel practically sang from the front seat.  
"And we're here, $23.50" the cabbie abruptly pulled the car up.  
"Jesus! Here!" Rachel threw some money at him and jumped out, Lisa and Holly following close behind.

Holly looked up at the bar's sign and entrance, "You failed to mention that this was a gay bar guys."  
"So?" Lisa played innocent, failing miserably as a grin spread across her face.  
It was about 10.30 and there was already a small group formed by the entrance chatting and smoking, a good mix of men and women, some very attractive women,_ you're on call… _**  
**"Holly come on," Lisa looped her arm around Holly's and dragged her through the door.

* * *

Gail took her place by Mel's side, she knew better than to ask any questions, whatever was in the those containers and whoever was coming she would find out in time. She checked her gun, SIG Sauer P225, a standard police service weapon and what she had been bought up to shoot, loaded, full clip and two spares in her jacket, _my non club jacket_. Smithy, Jo and Mason were all full members, although Jo was only made one about a month after they'd met. Jo had been a prospect for nearly a year, Gail had only been part of the club for 3 months and after this, _if it goes well,_ she'd become a full member, share of the profits, voting rights and more responsibility and choice, but what everyone really wanted - the club jacket. It was just a black leather jacket, not that unsimilar to her own, but with the club's logo and "The Devil's Whores" written around it on the back, the few small patches depending on rank. Mel's jacket was well worn, she'd been in charge for nearly 7 years and one of the founding members 20 years ago. On the front 3 patches, President, Toronto and Ninth Circle, a clever reference to Dante's Inferno and the nine circles of hell, with nine senior members of the club who sat at the "round table" of sorts in the club it was a nice fit. As much as Gail didn't want to admit it to herself part of her would be proud to wear that jacket, and it scared her, to be proud of who she had become over the last 3 months was dangerous.

So far all she has been involved in is low level stuff; collecting protection money mainly from local businesses around the bar, the club promised that by paying them they'd keep the gangs out, keep the really dangerous people out. Most days she had been running security in the bar or spent the day working in the garage on the bikes and cars, she had actually become a pretty decent mechanic. She was the bottom of the hierarchy, if there was anything shitty that needed doing they found Gail, and Gail did it, she needed to become more in the club, she needed more info, she needed proof and she kept telling herself that every morning, every night, every time she felt herself slipping, when she felt the guilt. She had to find something big enough to big the club down shut it all down, _this is it, _and the sooner she finds it she can go back to being her, _whoever that is. _  
She pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind and tried to glance over to Mel's clipboard when the door to the warehouse opened again. Two men entered, closely followed by Jo, Gail knew these men, _The Cubans, _they had been in the bar more than once during the clubs "office hours" recently. She'd been working on the bikes in the garage when she'd spotted them come in and out the first time, they'd been inside for more than 2 hours. She'd given their descriptions to Jerry and found out that they were associated with multiple cartels and were responsible for the majority of heroine coming into Toronto supplying most of the gangs. It hadn't made sense that Mel would meet with them, she was against drugs and gangs she loved the idea of being an honourable outlaw, she kept drugs and gangs out of her territory. She'd try to keep track of whenever they had come to visit the bar, and even tried to get in on the meetings but she couldn't be too obvious about her intentions, _I'm just a prospect. _

"Lucas, Javier nice to see you again, where's Hugo."  
"Unfortunately he had other business to attend to." The taller of two relied with a heavy Hispanic accent, _Lucas Morales cousin of a cartel don, suspected to be the head of operations for cartel in Toronto. _  
"You look particularly lovely today Mel," _Javier Vega, the muscle, wrap sheet filled with assault, gbh, weapons charges, attempted murder, possession and rape, _his voice made Gail's skin crawl, and Mel didn't seem to appreciate the comment either as she just sigh in response.  
"Do you have everything?" Lucas got straight to business.  
"Yes, the cargo is all here, everything is as its meant to be, we have the documents for transportation for container one," Mel replied as she passed over the container documents, _they're official, someone's been bribed. _"And container two is ready to emptied."  
"We will need to inspect the contents." Javier added.  
"Of course," She nodded, "Smithy."

Smithy made her way to one of the container doors, Mel and Lucas continued to talk and made their way to the desk. Javier made his way to the door with Smithy, curiosity got the better of Gail. She didn't hear anything Mel and Lucas were saying, all her attention was on the container, _and what's inside. _Smithy started to pull the door open, but suddenly it flung, Smithy was thrown backwards and hit the floor hard. A girl came running out hysterically straight into Javier, she screamed shoving him away and bolting for the door. Gail was frozen,_ what the hell is happening, _everything was happening so fast but it felt so slow, like she was in a movie and she could see everything that was happening.

"Fuck's sake" She heard from Smithy who was now back on her feet and reaching for her gun, _no. _Mel and Lucas were looking up from the paperwork spread out across the desk, the girl was nearly at the door, Smithy's gun was unholstered, _no, _she started to raise her gun,_ no_, there was a sick grin forming on Javier's face.  
"No!" Gail shocked herself as she screamed, there were three shots then silence. Gail let out the breathe she didn't realise she was holding, her ear's rung as the gun shots echoed in through the warehouse. She turned back towards the entrance, the girl was laid out on the floor, a pool of blood starting to form under her. Gail glanced back to the container, it was dark but she could still make out the buckets, a few large empty water containers and the handful of girls cowering in the far corner.

"Oh my god."

* * *

Jerry's face didn't slow an emotion, he just sat their listening to Gail's retelling of the what happened. When she finished she tried to hold back the tears but she couldn't stop them all.  
"You can't bury this within you Gail, this is too much and this is not on you." Jerry said ducking his head down to make eye contact with Gail who was trying to hide the tears, _you can't cry don't show the weakness.  
_"That's what you take from that?!" She didn't want to be so mean, it was a defensive mechanism.  
"Gail… GAIL LOOK AT ME," He said in a hushed shout.  
"And now I'm one of them." She was going break.

She finally looked up from the table, his eyes showed such kindness.  
"Listen to me, this is not on you. And you doing this, all of this, the last three months without that then we'd never have got this proof." She tried to let the words sink in… _proof.  
_"Proof? You said never would have got the proof. YOU KNEW THIS WAS HAPPENING!" Gail's shout was not hushed.  
"Gail!" Jerry quickly looked around, the bar was getting busier and noisier no one had noticed or at least no one had cared.  
"You knew they were doing this. Did you know when you fucking sent me in! Did you know that they were fucking selling slaves Jerry!?"  
"Gail we had no proof, just a few tips and scraps of evidence."  
"Why didn't you tell me?" her anger was consuming.  
"Could you really have gone in the same way if you had know?"  
"Fuck you Jerry! Fuck you!" The tears kept coming.  
"Gail I need more detail. This is it. This is what we need and then its over, we get them all."  
She couldn't stop shaking her head, why would he send her in blind, _why didn't he tell me_. She buried her emotions again like she had been doing all day, _ignore them bury them deep.  
_"A deal was made, Mason took the body, something about a patch by the woods, near the conservation area, she kept going on about poison ivy by the lake. You get that body, you get the warehouse, get the truck in transporting the other container. You better fucking get it all."  
"We will Gail."

* * *

"Well that was interesting to watch." Holly laughed as Lisa made her way back to the table.  
"What you were right she's hot, in the biker '_don't fuck with me' _way." Lisa rebuffed. Holly had known she was gay from a young age, she may have struggled to accept it and dated the odd guy in the process but Lisa was different. Lisa was for most intents and purposes straight but every so often and a few beers, as she put it, fancied touching a boob not when giving the owner a boob job. It was actually how they had met, in what turned out to be the biggest fail of a pick up ever, they had made it back to Holly's very modest med school dorm room in a drunken haze and once that was starting to wear off the obvious lack of chemistry became overwhelming, but they had been friends since so Holly liked to view the experience as a win.

"And if you weren't going to hit on her, I sure as hell was going to."  
"Two women just offered to buy me a drink," Rachel sat down at the table with another round of drinks.  
"Wooo," Lisa wiggled her eyebrows. "Two well done!"  
"No, one drink from two women."  
Holly and Lisa both burst into laughter.  
"hah, oh…"Holly tried to regain her breath. "That's interesting."  
"There's no available men here,' Rachel slumped back into her chair.  
"Kinda the point." Lisa bit back.  
Holly glanced back at the table with the blonde, she was deep in conversation, with the man sat very close to her. Her head facing down and body slumped towards the table not the confident, stunning woman she had seen only minutes before. She couldn't help but glance at her table from time to time as she continued to talk to her friends. Lisa had just come back from the bar with four tequilas when she noticed the blonde getting angry, she wanted to see more, but Lisa blocked her view.  
"Stop staring and do a shot!" She demanded.  
"I'm not drinking I'm on call!"  
"You can have one drink!"  
"And you had to choose tequila? And why are there four?"  
"Well if you keep staring at blondie I was gonna say give it to her!" Holly frowned, "I'm joking grumpy guts! Its for me… duh." She quickly did her first shot before handing the rest around.  
"To being bad ass bitches!" She shouted as if she was addressing the whole bar. Holly bought the shot glass to her mouth and even as the smell and taste were invading her senses she couldn't her but notice the blonde's friend leaving. _Stop it Holly, your staring! _She hit the shot glass back on the table shuddering slightly as the liquor pasted down her throat.  
"Right I'm going to the ladies," Holly stated as she started to said, "Not to _THE_ ladies Lisa, get your head out of the gutter." She didn't actually need the toilet but she needed a moment, _to compose myself._ Comparing how busy the bar was the toilets were surprisingly quiet, she leant over one of the sinks and splashed some water on her face. She may have not got a case today but it was still a long day. She took a few more moments to compose herself before heading out. Which is when she walked straight into the blonde, _wow. _Her long platinum blonde hair highlighted her exquisite blue eyes, _they're so full of emotion._  
"Sorry, I wasn't looking were I was going," her voice was softer than she imagined, she sound almost broken.  
"No its my fault! I came barging out of there not looking where I was going, walked straight into you! And now you apologise, which you so don't have to do, it was me, I'm sorry!" _Your rambling!_  
The blonde chuckled slightly, a small grin forming on her face, _wow she really is beautiful.  
_"You talk a lot don't you?"  
"I ramble sometimes, when I'm nervous mostly, my friends usually point it out and try to stop me because I don't always realise that I'm doing it… and I'm doing it again"  
The blonde just nodded, a smile spreading across her face just for a second, "Do I make you nervous."  
"I… yes."  
"Interesting." Was all she replied before she turned and left.

* * *

**Okay so... really long chapter and a lot of development in the story. The crime aspect is pretty heavy I know but I needed something which would really shake Gail up.  
So please review, any comments and suggestions will be taken into account!  
(I proof read this pretty quickly so i apologise for mistakes) **


	5. Chapter 5- Doubt

**Things are moving fast!**

Chapter 5- doubt

* * *

_Very interesting. _She turned to leave the bar without another word, Gail had other things on her mind for tonight, and they involved two men, Jose and Jack. She head out the bar quickly, it was nearly midnight and the cold was settling in and Gail welcomed it. She jumped on her Harley, feeling so drained, the days' events weighing down on her. She was so tired, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, _I need a drink_, she pulled away fast, speeding off to her apartment.  
She threw open her apartment door not giving a shit whether her neighbours heard her and grabbed the bottles not bothering with a glass. Taking a long swig whilst collapsing on the sofa, she stared up at the ceiling trying to convince herself of Jerry's words, _this is just a job, what happened wasn't on me._

An hour or so later, Gail was passed out on the sofa, the near empty bottles splayed out across the floor. She was so out of it she didn't hear Jo entering, it took being grabbed by her jacket and shaken violently for her to even wake.  
"What… the…"  
"WHAT THE FUCK GAIL!?" That's all it took, her eyes snapped open, her defences kicked in, she tried to shove the person off, but no matter how much her she tried, a bottle of tequila makes simple tasks pretty difficult. Jo practically picked her up and slammed her against the opposite wall. Gail groaned, her head was spinning, she couldn't fight her off, she had to talk to her.

"Jo what's wrong?" her toned was hushed and even, she didn't want to aggravate her more, _was she off her meds?  
_"Why the fuck wouldn't you tell me? Why the fuck… I mean WHAT THE FUCK Gail!" Jo shoved herself off Gail and stared pacing, muttering to herself, _she knows_.  
"Jo it's not what you think." Her eyes fixed completely on Jo, her fists were constantly clenching and unclenching, Jo was not the most stable person on an ordinary day if she thought Gail had done something to betray her she didn't know what Jo was capable of.

Jo's fist made contact with the wall beside Gail's head "And how the fuck do you know what I think."  
"You're right, I don't." She gulped, _she's alone, if she really knew they would all be here, _steadying her voice she continued,"Why don't we just talk about it?"  
"Gail I've known you 3 months…" She was pacing again, "I followed you out the bar earlier. You went the wrong way home. You said you were going home" Her hands were dancing around. "So I followed you." _Shit, Jerry. _"And you went in that bar. That _gay _bar! And you never told me, why didn't you tell me!?"  
"I…" Gail pushed herself off the wall, feeling like a giant weight was being lifted off her, _this isn't about Jerry._

"Don't you trust me? I thought we were friends! All this time, I don't care if you're gay! I just… you should have told me."  
"Jo I'm sorry." She mustered as much sincerity as she could as she stepped forward, reaching out towards Jo. Jo simply slapped her hand away.  
"Fuck you. You should have told me." Her tone was much calmer; Gail knew she was out of the woods.

"Bitches turned you down that hard hey?"  
"What?" confusion was written all over her face, this sudden change in Jo's questioning and tone was giving her head rush, _or maybe it's the tequila._ Jo just pointed to the bottles on the floor. "Oh, no, just today you know. It was long."  
"Yeah you're right, but we did good. You did good. You deserve that," her head bopping down towards her jacket, Gail had been so determined to get home and drunk she was still fully dressed, even her boots were still on.

"So you like the ladies then…." Jo asked dragging out the question, her eyebrows raised. Gail's mouth opened as she struggling to find the words, luckily Jo's phone started ringing, echoing in the silence that filled the room.  
"Saved by the bell…. Yello?" Jo's grin dropped quickly, "What? How?... Okay, Okay, yeah I'm with her, we're be there soon."  
"Who was that?"  
"Mel, they found the body. "  
"What?"  
"The police, found the body, Mel needs us back at the club house now."  
Gail grabbed her keys, following Jo out of the apartment, a quick glance at her watch, _12.34am damn Jerry that was fast._

* * *

Holly had made her way back to the table after her encounter with the blonde, not mentioning it to her friends. There was no need to tell them, nothing had really happened, but enough had happened for Holly's mind to become a flurry of images.

It had been a good hour since the blonde had left, and Holly was starting to get tired, Lisa was in the middle of retelling a horror story of a patient as Holly struggled to find an excuse to slip out. But as luck would have it her phone rang, it was the corner's office.  
She stood up quickly, "I have to take this," outraged faces glanced up at her, "Its work!"

She slid out the bar quickly and answered her, a body had been found in the woods, and she was the only pathologist on call, _my first own case_. They text over the address and Holly quickly called a cab to office; she'd left her car there after work with all her kit in just in case. Quickly making her way back into the bar she found Rachel and Lisa and apologised for leaving,  
"Hey don't say sorry! This is why we are celebrating! Go be a rock star!" Rachel shouted over the music.  
"Yeah a rock star, even if it is on dead people." Holy rolled her eyes and hugged them both goodbye.

The cab ride took longer than expected but she was still at the crime scene within an hour. It was a patch well into the conservation, near no roads, paths or cabins, _who found this body in the middle of the night. _  
She pulled up alongside a patrol car, slipping on her walking boots, coat ad grabbing her kit she made her way over to the yellow tape ducking under it.  
"Hey Ma'am! Sorry Ma'am, hey LADY!"  
She turned round to be faced with a fresh faced rookie running up behind her, "Me?"  
"You can't be in here ma'am."  
"Ma'am?" Holly liked to think she had a fairly expressive face and right now she was trying her hardest to express the right mix of shock and amusement. "Officer… Epstein, yeah I'm the forensic pathologist." She waved her ID badge in his face. "I'm here for the body."  
"Right! Oh sorry, erm yeah its over there." He stuttered out as he pointed down the slope towards a very small lake.  
"Where all the police and the lights are?"  
"Yes ma'am," The sarcasm obviously going straight over his head.

She spotted Detective Barber stood alongside a few other officers who she didn't recognise.  
"Hey Doctor Stewart! You working this one alone?" He sounded oddly cheering given the circumstances.  
"Yep, first one." She couldn't help but smile, a sense of pride washing over her. She had worked hard to get this far in her career so quickly.  
"Well its good to know who'll be looking after this one" he voice suddenly became more serious. "This ones really important doc, I've got a lot riding on this."  
"They're all important to me detective," She replied as she crouched down to study the body.

* * *

The bar was lit up completely, Mel and a few others were already sat around the table when Gail and Jo came.  
"This is bad, Mel." Smithy sounded scared, she had her head in her hands hunched over a table.  
"It's not your DNA on her!" Mason was freaking out, Gail had never seen the woman so rattled, she was always so together, _the stoic woman. _  
"It wasn't your gun!"  
"Calm down!" Mel's voice boomed.

Jo walked over to smithy hugging her tight and patting her on the back, Gail followed suit.  
"Hey Gail, jacket looks good on you."  
"Thanks."  
"Do they know?" Mason asked Mel as she came walking up towards them.  
"They found the body." Gail stated in response.  
"If they look at the body, me and Smithy are dead, I can't go back inside. I won't." Mason was well and truly freaking out.  
"You're not going anywhere."  
"The bullet! They can trace that shit." Mason was practically shouting into Mel's face, "And my fingerprints and like hair DNA is probably…" She got cut off by the slap across her face. She stumbled backwards into the table behind her, looking back to Mel with a shocked expression written all over her face and her hand reaching up to cup her cheek. "What the..."

"SHUT UP! All of you. If they find that body it's not just you two idiots going down, they'll trace this back to the whole organisation, and we all go down. And even if you're the lucky one who doesn't get busted, won't matter cause the Cubans will sure as hell make you wish you did. We have to get that body back."  
"The corner will take it back to the labs once the scenes been processed." Smithy having composed herself started pulling out plans and laying them out on the table.

"If we go in the back just before the shift change, we can get in the lab find the body grab it and be out before anyone knows."  
Mason was back on her feet staring down at the plans over Smithy's shoulders. Gail walked over to the table, and looked down at the plans, "Where did you get these?"  
"I have plans on all the labs, and police divisions within a 50 miles radius." Smithy replied very matter of fact, Gail just looked at her in awe. Smithy was the brain to Mason's brawn, and Jo well she was the crazy to Mel's calm, _where do I fit in_.  
"What about the guard? Surely this kind of lab as security, got to be loads of open cases and evidence being processed in this kind of place."

"The shift change is 7am, you'll go in at 6, knock out the guard and get out by 7, get rid of the evidence and the body. No one else will be there, no one will know anything until its too late." Mel stared straight into Gail's eyes, "You okay with that?" Her voice was challenging.  
"Of course."  
"Good, Jo, Smithy, Gail you'll go, Mason you're staying here."  
"I'm okay." Mason stated.  
"No you're not. You're staying here, until this is over. The rest of you get some rest, especially you Gail I can smell the booze from here. Use the beds in the back, you can go straight from here, take the van."

This was bad, she needed to tell Jerry, her reached in her pocket looking for her phone, _Shit_, she had still been out of when she'd left the apartment she must have left her phone on the side.  
"Everything alright blondie?" Jo came up behind her.  
"Yeah, yeah I'm good, just need some sleep." She lied.

* * *

Holly had managed to get home by 2, the body had been taken to the morgue and on Jerry's orders she'd gone home and left the autopsy for the morning. She didn't feel quite so chirpy when she woke as she had the previous morning, but she was still excited. She was up by 5.30, making a quick breakfast and filling her flask to the brim with coffee she made her way to the lab. It was a clear morning, the crisp cold air greeted her as she hurried across the lot from her car to the lab.

"Hey Danny!" She called out as punched in her code. His head popped out behind the desk. "Been napping again?" She laughed out.  
"No, no, no! Of course not Dr Stewart! I was doing this Sudoku thing, see! Meant to help your brain," He rambled out quickly jumping out of his seat waving his puzzle book around.  
"Danny I was joking don't worry, and call me Holly please."  
"Of course Dr Ste.. Holly. Plus, I mean who could sleep around here? With all these dead bodies around?"

She just chuckled in response and made her way to main lab, "You'll let me know when you leave?"  
"Of course Dr Ste… HOLLY!"  
Holly continued down the hall still chuckling to herself, Danny was a young lad, started working the night shift security at the lab around the same time she joined. She was nearly always the first person in and their morning chit-chat was always fun, he probably got on with him better than anyone else her, she didn't make friends easily and Danny was always so friendly.

She entered the main morgue, placing her bag down by the desk and her flask and set to work. Changing into scrubs, bringing instruments out, making sure everything was sterile and in it's right place. There were bags laid out alongside the slab ready to bag any evidence that wasn't taken at the scene, her tools were on a small table in easy reach, and a Dictaphone at the top of slab so she could make verbal detailed notes as she went and write them up later. Holly had done autopsies before but this one was truly her's. Everything was in it's right place, _6.25 _she was still running early, Jerry was due at 7, he wanted to be here for it all. She didn't know why this case was so important to him already, _I will ask._ She headed over to the desk to refresh her knowledge of everything she wrote last night. _Female, aged between 18-25, approx. 1.6m and 40kg, tattoos [pic 1-4], apparent branding [pic 5]…_

They were rough notes she had taken down on the scene, the woman had nothing distinctive to identify her, no ID on her, no dental work which probably meant no records, one of her tattoos appeared Russian or eastern European and the type of body dump lead Holly to believe illegal immigrant so no records there either. Cause of death was obvious at the scene, three gun shots, two to the back and one to the back of the head, hopefully knowing more about how she died might lead them to who killed her, and hopefully tell them who she was. This body had a story to tell and Holly knew how to read it.  
_*Duuuuurrrrm*_

Well, she knew how to if the lights stayed on.

* * *

_6.15, _they were outside the labs sat in the back of the van, Smithy going over the plan one more time. "We cut the power, cameras go down, get in through the back, guard will see the lights go out, I'll take care of him and then check the evidence rooms, see if things have been processed, you two find the body, bag it, take it. We'll be out in 10. Come straight to the van."  
"Got it." Gail nodded, _Fuck. _The plan was good, if it worked then all of this was for nothing they need the body to take down the Devil's Whores.  
"Yeah, what are we waiting for! Come on, I'm ready." Jo pumped as ever was practically bouncing up and down in the van.

_6.25, _Smithy was fiddling with the power supply. "Done! Its down, 10 minutes back at the van. Let's go." Gail and Jo broke down the door and headed in, Smithy running in behind, baseball bat in hand, gun on hip, _how the fuck do I stop this.  
_"Come on!" Jo grabbed her, dragging her towards the morgue. "These places freak me out, I don't want to be here any longer than I have to be."  
"You've been in one before?"  
"Yeah you know, dead parents someone's got to say who they were."  
Gail knew Jo was orphaned young; Mel had practically raised her after that, "I'm sorry."  
"Not your fault. I think its this way."

They both pushed passed some double doors straight into the morgue.  
"Hey Danny! Why are the lights out? Is it everywhere or just here?" Gail and Jo just looked at each other, _no one was meant to be here. _"Danny?" The doctor finally turned around on the chair she was standing on working on the large fluorescent light above. "Who the hell…" She went silent, her eyes staring straight at Gail, _the girl from the bar, she recognises me._  
Jo had drawn her gun, "Get down, NOW!" she shouted. The doctor jumped down from the chair, keeping her arms up high.  
"There's no need for a gun, just tell me what you're looking for," She was surprisingly calm for someone with a gun pointed at her.  
"Where's the body?" Jo was getting edgy again, Gail's hand was hovering over her own weapon, she can't let Jo shoot her, Jo wouldn't shoot her, that's not part of the job.

"What.. er what body?" Her nerves seemed to be kicking in now, Jo's erratic behaviour was obviously freaking her out.  
"The body you found last night in the woods." Gail finally found her voice, she needed to be the voice of reason. She walked forward, placing her hand above Jo's gun and pushing it, nodding at Jo a silent sentence spoken between them. That's when the two gun shots went off, in quick succession. _Shit, the guard, no this wasn't the plan, no one should get hurt. _The doctor made a run for it, Jo grabbed her easily and threw her down on the floor, she may be small but Jo was strong, she raised her gun again this time getting close enough to the doctor that the barrel was touching her face.

"Tell us where the god damn body is!" Jo was shaking. Gail didn't know when but at some point she had drawn her own gun.  
"I…." The doctors voice was fluttering, "It's there, number 6."  
Smithy ran into the room, "We need to go NOW!" She announced before noticing the doctor, "who the fuck is that?"  
"The doctor." "Pathologist." Gail and the doctor answered simultaneously.  
Smithy's gun was pointed at her too, Gail needed to stop this, _how.  
_"You got her?" Jo looked back at Smithy who just nodded keeping her gun pointed at the doctor who was still laid out on the floor, a treacle of blood running down her face from her nose. Jo made her way over to the morgue's chambers, pulling out number 6. "Got it."  
"Good bag it now!" Jo placed her gun down to bag the corpse. "You shouldn't have been here doc." _NO._

* * *

**_Reviews, favs and follows all appreciated.  
And any suggestions.  
Wrote and checked in a day so sorry for any mistakes. _**


	6. Chapter 6- Saviour

**Another update! Hope you like**  
Chapter 6 – saviour

* * *

"You shouldn't have been her doc." _This is it, this is how I die. _Holly refused to close her eyes, if this woman was going to kill her, she was going to make her watch the life drain out of her eyes, _be strong. _The gun shot rang out in the morgue, she flinched, _its not me. _The woman in front of her collapsed, the blonde, _the beautiful blonde,_ from the bar had her gun raised, held in two hands, she was staring at the smaller woman across the room, "Jo…" she pleaded just as two more gun shots rang out and the blonde fell back, Holly flinching again.

"Holy fuck. Fuckfuckfuck." The smaller woman was pacing, her gun waving around the place, Holly was frozen she couldn't move her mind was too busy trying to process; _what had just happened._

The blonde had pushed herself back against the far wall, trying to sit up, she had dropped her gun in the process and it was out of reach, even if it wasn't though Holly doubted the blonde would be able to use it.  
"WHAT THE FUCK GAIL!? What… why. Why the fuck would you do that? Why would you make me do that!?" She ran over to the blonde and hit her across the face with the butt of the gun.  
"Eurgh," Blonde spat out blood, she was gasping for air trying to speak "Jo… Jo I'm sorry"  
"You're sorry?" She hit her again, this time face on Holly was sure she heard the crunch as her nose broke.  
The blonde's head flopped down, she was losing consciousness, bleeding out and taking this beating she'd probably be dead in 5 minutes, _unless I help. _The dead woman in front of her was still holding her gun.

"I never should have fucking trusted you, you were meant to be one of us!" She kept punching and hitting. "Fuck you Gail! Smithy was my friend"  
_*bang*_

Holly stood perfectly still, the gun shaking between her hands, her father had taught her how to shoot when she was younger, _understand how it works, then you won't fear it, _that was his motto with most things, he had always encouraged her natural curiosity. Although she had never liked guns she had always respected them but right now she was scared of them, she was scared everything, scared at what she had just done. She knelt down and placed the gun carefully on the floor, she was at eye-level with the blonde. She was breathing heavily, her hand trying to stop the bleeding in her lower abdomen. Holly hadn't worked on a living person in nearly two years, since she had specialised in pathology, but she knew what she had to do, _stem the bleeding, keep her calm, keep her conscious. _

"Hey, hey look at me," The adrenaline was pumping through her body and she could hear her heart beat. "That's it, I need you to stay awake okay? I'm going to try to stop the bleeding alright, but I need you to stay awake." Her hands found the tops of blonde's, she looked round to the blonde's back, _no exit wound, _looking down the blonde's body she tried to catalogue her injures, _broken nose, possible fractured eye socket, deep swelling and multiple contusions on the face, bullet wound to the upper left shoulder- flesh wound not life threatening, bullet wound to the lower abdomen- no exit wound, possible organ damage, possible internal bleeding. _She looked back to her face to see those magnificent blue eyes meeting her own, her breathing was heavy and yet weak, she was trying to speak. "No, don't speak just breathe okay," Holly could hear the sirens, they were close. "Helps coming alright just stay with me okay."

"POLICE!"  
"Help!" Holly called as loud as she could "We're in here!"  
"Police!" Two officers walked in guns drawn, Holly recognise the man from the woods, Officer Epstein, but she didn't know the woman. They both scanned the room looking at the scene in front of them, two armed biker woman dead, and Holly now covered in blood sat over the blonde.  
"She needs an ambulance!"  
Officer Epstein got on his radio requesting urgent medical assistance.  
"Hey," the female officer holstered her weapon and sat down next to Holly. "Do you need any help?" Holly just shook her head, "Do you know if there's anyone else in the building?"  
"Just Danny the guard, there were two shots earlier I don't know where he is."

"Dov… DOV!"  
"What McNally?"  
"Its Gail."  
Holly swears she heard the blonde chuckle, her eyes were starting to close as she struggled to keep her head up.  
"WHAT?!"  
Holly looked up at both of them shocked "You know her?" she was criminal so she didn't understand why she felt so shocked that two police officers would know her.  
"Yeah, she was in the academy with us."

* * *

She didn't really remember much between leaving the morgue and hospital it was all blurry. She remembered the doctor and how her hands felt nice, the sirens blasting but not the paramedics. She even remembered Dov being there_. _She just about remembered arriving in the hospital but only because she recognised the feel of the cold metal around her wrist, _shot twice and they still feel the need to cuff me._ She was pretty sure she remembered Jerry shouting at some point too but she couldn't be sure. All the hazeyness and images were playing out in her mind like a bad movie, she didn't want to see this. A warm feeling started to course through her body and she welcomed it, she was just so tired, tired of fighting, tired of living, the feeling continued to spread through her and she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time, _peace. _

* * *

Holly was sat on the edge of a hospital bed, combing her hand through her hair. Her eyes were looking for something, anything to distract her, she needed something to take her mind off what had happened, to stop herself from questioning it and replaying it over and over. Her hands were fidgeting on her lap playing with the material of her scrubs, looking down at them she saw that they were still covered with the blonde's blood. Her breathe caught, she jumped off the bed, running to the sink, _no stop_. They might need to take photos for report she knew this, yet her hand was still hovering over the tap.

"Dr Stewart," A young man entered, mid 20s must be fresh out of mind school.  
"It's Holly." She tried to muster a smile but failed. He looked over to her, she was still stood over the sink, staring intently down. "The police will be in shortly to get a statement, they will need your clothes and some photos, after that you'll be able to get cleaned up," His voice had softened greatly, she glanced over to him, his eyes had a lovely warmth to them. "I can make sure that some scrubs are sent over so you have something to change into, but before I let the police in I just want to check you're okay."

Holly finally moved away from the sink, slowly making her way back to the bed and taking her place once again on the edge.  
"I really am fine, I already told the paramedics."  
He nodded as if in acceptance but continued to study her face anyway, "You had a small bleed from your nose?"  
"Yeah I think I hit it with my own arm or something."  
"And you were thrown to the floor?"  
"Yes," Knowing what was coming next Holly lifted her own shirt slightly, there was light bruising already appearing down her left side, "Nothings broken, and I will keep an eye on the bruising."

"Okay," nodding again and jotting down a few notes on his chart. "Doctors can often be the worst patients, you need to keep a close eye on yourself, you've been through a big trauma, and that can take a lot out of you mentally. Here is the number of they Phsyc department here at the hospital, if you ever need to see anyone just ring and you'll be able to see someone straight away, okay?"  
Holly didn't want to see a shrink but she took the number anyway "Thank you."  
"No problem, are you happy for me to send the officers in?"  
"Yeah sure."

A new uniforms walked in closely followed by Detective Barber. "Jerry!"  
"Holly," His voice was apologetic somehow as he ran up to her and embracing her in a tight hug. "I am so sorry."  
"Its not your fault Jerry."  
"Are you okay?" he stepped back out of the hug keeping his hands on her shoulders as he looked down her. She looked terrible, her scrubs were covered blood and slightly ripped, there was a tiny bit of her own blood still on her face and the blonde's blood all over her hands, but she nodded anyway she just felt exhausted. "Well you don't look okay."  
"I just want to go home."  
"Of course, we won't keep you long, Officer Nash here will take your statement and process you and your clothes, then you can go home."  
"I don't need to come into the station?" She was surprised usually witnesses to such crimes would need to be sat down and deposed properly.  
"No not now, maybe later this week. This is a lot to process Holly so if you think you have forgotten anything from your initial statement you can call me," he handed over his card. "Or just pop into the station."

He turned to Officer Nash to check she had everything she needed, Holly couldn't help but notice the way Jerry's hand brushed over Nash's arm or how her eyes lit up slightly as she looked at him. Holly prided herself on her attention to detail, and there was no way she was going to miss this interaction, _they're so doing it. _Jerry turned once again to face Holly, "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"  
She just nodded before suddenly remembering the question which had been haunting her, "How is she?" The question came out a little more forcefully than she intended.  
Jerry's mouth dropped slightly before he composed himself, "Who?"  
"The blonde, I rode with in the ambulance."  
His eyes dropped to the floor for a moment, "She's in surgery. We'll know more later." When he looked back up Holly could see the sadness behind his eyes, _he cares, why?_

* * *

She came to in a brightly lit room, _the hospital_, the sterile smell, the soft beeps of machines and the tubes in. she wasn't sure how long it took her to open her eyes completely but once she had she wished she hadn't.  
"What the fuck sis." It wasn't really a question, just her brother's own brand snark.  
"Oh hey there Steve." Her voice was hoarse and it hurt to speak but she was determined to give her brother some banter back. He shook his head from side to side, he hopped up off the chair and grabbed her chart off the end of the bed.  
"Well I guess I should be glad that you don't have any drugs in you at least." He flicked through the pages before putting the chart back and walking round to the side of the bed. "What have you done sis?"

Gail looked down to wrist it was still cuffed, an IV tube was coming out of her. They had put her in her own room with a uniform was stood at the door. This was serious, she needed to know what time it was and she needed to contact Jerry or Mel, "What time is it?"  
"Why does that matter?" Steve retorted.  
"Steve!" She groaned, she needed to stay calm, her machines started to beep more rapidly.  
"Alright, alright! Calm down." He grabbed his cell phone. "12."  
"Noon?"  
"Yeah." _Fuck, _the club would know what happened by now if she wanted to stay undercover she needed to talk to them soon before they made up their own minds, before they wouldn't listen to her side. "Gail you need to get your story straight, Mum and Dad can't make this go away you need to plead this…" Steve continued but Gail's attention was stolen from the commotion that was forming outside.

"Who the fuck let him in?"  
"I…erm I did sir, he said he was a detective… he showed me his badge."  
"Move out of the way!" _Jerry! _He came storming into the room. "Peck get out! You cant be in here and you know that."  
"She's my sister! And if you've forgotten I'm Guns and Gangs!"  
"Steve, this is my case! Now get out before I get officer Diaz here to arrest you for obstruction." _Chris was here, no wonder he let Steve in, probably thought he was helping me_. Steve huffed, looking at Gail one more time before storming out, shoulder slamming against Jerry on the way out just for good measure.

Once Steve had left, Jerry shut the door and turned towards Gail.  
"Gail I am so sorry."  
"Jerry it wasn't your fault." Gail hated how she sounded weak. "I couldn't get a message to you, it all happened so quick." Jerry reached in his pocket pulling out his phone setting it to record.  
"I need you to go over it just roughly now."  
"We got called in around 1, they knew you'd found the body and that it was being taken to the labs, they thought if you had that then you'd be able to take down the whole club. So they had a plan to go in, steal the body destroy the evidence. I couldn't get to a phone Jerry." She groaned again.  
"Gail are you alright? Do you need some more pain meds."  
"Oh god yeah." She tried to chuckle which only caused her to groan more.

Jerry reached over to one of the machines and pushed a few buttons, "Hopefully that will help."  
"Being shot sucks." She sighed. She alright felt drowsy, once the drugs hit her system she wasn't going to be any use so she tried to continue quickly. "No one was meant to be at the lab, just one guard, Smithy went to take care of him, and me and Jo went to the morgue, the doctor was in there, Jo went mental, pulled her gun on her, I tried to calm the situation down, but there were two shots." _The guard. _Gail closed her eyes trying to fight back the tears, "The guard, is he... is he alright?"

Jerry lowered his gaze, "He was pronounced dead on the scene."  
Gail could feel the tears rolling down her face, she tried to reach up to rub them away one hand immobilised pulling the cuff. When she tried to move the other hand shooting pain travelled all the down her arm from her shoulder causing her to whimper slightly.

"Shit Gail, here I got it," he reached out to her but she tried to turn away. "Gail come on." She finally relented and allowed him to brush some of the tears lightly off her face careful of the bruising.

She took a steadying breathe and tried to continue, "The doctor she tried to run after the shots, Jo grabbed, threw her down, Smithy came in, Jo went to get the body, and Smithy … she was going to shoot her. I… I shot Smithy. Jo then shot me twice, started beating on me. Then there was a gun shot, the rest is too blurry. I'm sorry Jerry."  
"No Gail don't be sorry. This is good. Everything you did was right, it was clean. You saved Holly."  
"Holly," She mumbled to herself, the name sounded so natural for her, it suited the doctor. "hmmm…" The drugs were kicking in and Gail felt herself slipping.

* * *

**This isn't the end of Gail's undercover-ness quite yet, there will be lots of flashbacks and stuff but I really want to progress Gail and Holly's relationship and focus on that for a bit.  
Reviews really appreciated! Let me know what you are thinking about the story or if you want me to take it in a different direction. **


	7. Chapter 7- Recover

**Really appreciate all the reviews, they've shot up recently which is great! Couple people mentioned some spacing issues; think I've sorted it now (if I haven't my bad) and I've updated the description as I think the link to the film (which just literally gave me the first chapter bit as an idea) was putting people off.  
Trying to keep my goal of updating at least once every two days but this is the point in my head I had the story at when I decided to write. So may be trickier now…  
Anyway enjoy! **

Chapter 7- Recover

* * *

Gail was sat up right in her bed, as much as her wound would allow, her table full of paperwork and the reminiscence of five, _or six,_ jello cups that Jerry had brought, _bribing me to work._ Jerry was sat in the far corner seat, filling out his own paperwork looking up occasionally to make sure Gail was still working. The blinds and the door were shut, a uniform still posted outside, the handcuff hanging off the gurney.

It had been a week since the shooting in the morgue and Gail was healing better than expected, the doctors thought she would get full motion back in her left arm. And the stiches in her abdomen were already out, no infections and minimal scar tissue. She had been lucky, the bullet hadn't caused any irreversible organ damage and only minimal internal bleeding. The bullet hadn't exited as it hit her hip and got lodged, which meant the doctors _in all their wisdom_ decided to leave it in, it might mean she'll need a hip replacement in later life but unless it causes any unforeseen problems it was perfectly safe inside her.

Jerry had been keeping quiet about the progress of the Devil's Whores investigation, he had informed her though that once everything was in place, there would be a mass operation to take everyone down simultaneously. Technically Gail was still undercover, they had kept the details of the shooting quiet and the media had made their own assumptions, some painting the dead guard, Danny, as the hero other just saying gang robbery gone wrong. Members of the club had been bought in for questioning to keep up the act but no arrests, other than Gail's, _breaking and entering, attempted robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, _all great addition to her ever growing wrap sheet. As fair as the club knew, she was in police custody, _basically am. _

She had 3 months of paperwork to get done so why not use her recovery time, no visitors had come since Jerry kicked her brother out, not even a phone call from her mother or father. She wasn't that surprised, to them she had hurt their careers when the operation had started and now they were under the spot light again, _still none the wiser_. Jerry and Garret explained the need to have her past made loud, all those slight misdemeanours in her rebellious teenage phase, 'hanging out with the wrong type of people' her mother used to say. The few run ins with the police had been icing on the cake as far as she was concerned, another great way to piss off superintendent mum, and its thanks to those run ins that she had been picked for the operation. And Steve, he actually cared, he cared enough to stay away. He couldn't see his little sister like this, they had never been that close but he loved her and she never doubted that, even now and she knew how much it must hurt him to see his sister,_ the criminal, _in hospital shot in the process of committing a crime. And the club, she assumed they were either hiding and keeping a low profile or long gone.

"Do I need to get you another Jello-cup?" Jerry asked looking up from his own work, a smile playing on his face.  
"Shut up." She snapped back, "but if you were to pass the food store again, I like the green ones best."  
"I'm going to go get a coffee, do you want anything else?"  
"Beer?"  
"I'll lock the door, so don't worry about the cuffs."  
"Yes because it is at the top of my worry list." Gail's own snark bringing a smile to her face, it was the nearest to normality she'd had in a while.

She continued with a paperwork, it started to feel like writing a journal, every day documented, anything connected to the club in extreme detail. Her concentration only broke when the door knob started to rattle.

"Ma'am you can't go in there!" She heard from outside the door, quickly grabbing her paper work together and as efficiently and painlessly as she could she stuffed it under herself.  
"What?" It was a woman's voice it sounded somewhat familiar.  
"You can't go in there… Oh its you again." Gail would recognise Dov's squeak anywhere.  
"Yes, hello Officer Epstein, I just wanted to drop these off." _What if they come in, _she quickly popped the cuffs back on.

"Oh erm yeah, I still can't let you in, you know orders and stuff." Even through a door and without seeing him he still managed to annoy the shit out of Gail.  
"Well can I leave them with you?"  
"Errr… yeah sure I guess." _Who is this woman, the voice sounds so familiar._ "Hey!" Dov's voice was louder again, she must be leaving, "How have you been?"  
Gail couldn't make out the reply.

* * *

"I don't know," She really didn't.

Holly made her way down the corridor as fast as she could. She had spent the last week at home, only venturing outside out of necessity, _snacks and beer_. The department had issued her with a mandatory two weeks paid suspension. They kept telling her that it had nothing to do with anything she had done but was all in her best interests 'come back to work whenever you feel up to it', _as long as it was after those two weeks._

So the last week had been a marathon catch up of Game of Thrones, including finishing the last book, eating large amount of junk food, living out of pyjamas and avoiding calls from her parents. They had called every 10 minutes for 3 hours the day after the shooting, eventually Holly caved and picked up after a threat of getting on a plane if she didn't answer. Holly loved her family, and she never doubted for a second that they loved her but right now she didn't want them around, _couldn't have them around._

A week sat in her apartment, a week trying not to think about that morning, _a failed week. _And when she woke today, screaming and covered in sweat she knew she had to get outside and the next thing she knew she was sat in her car in the hospital car park. _She needed answers. _Without really knowing why, she ran across the road to a small florist opposite the hospital and searched for a bunch on flowers, _killing time, now you're here, you're worried you don't want the answers. _After searching for nearly 20 minutes she settled on a bunch of beautiful white lilies with a blue tint, they reminded Holly of her, _her eyes. _

She had come for answers and was leaving, _running,_ now with more questions. She finally made it round the corner to the elevator and hit up, _Level 5- Psych._

* * *

"Who are they for?" Gail asked curiously.  
"You," Jerry drew out the word, making it fairly obvious he thought her question was stupid, he popped the flowers down on the table beside the bed, Gail just frowned at them. They were lovely flowers, beautiful white lilies with a blue tint but there was no card, and Gail couldn't think of anyone who actually cared enough to give flowers.

"Where is your paper work? And why are your cuffs on?"  
"There was someone outside, trying to get in, I may have panicked slightly,"

"Just slightly, the door was locked."  
"I know," she sighed out. Gail was just on edge, she had been since the shooting, if she was being honest with herself she had been on edge since she went undercover. She had been managing to sleep better in the hospital than she had in months, rationing out her pain meds throughout the day and then maxing out just before she went to sleep sent her into a dreamless slumber. Combined with the fact that there was a guard outside her door day and night, she felt something resembling safe.

Just as Gail went to undo her cuffs there was a light knock on the door. Jerry shot a look at Gail who just shrugged in silent reply.  
"Come in," he called as he stood from his chair in the corner.  
"Oh hello Detective Barber, Ms Peck." It was Dr Maine, she had been on Gail's case since after her surgery, popping in from time to time to check up on her and make sure she was comfortable, unlike most of the nurses, Gail's snark combined with the appearance of being a harden criminal hadn't scared her away. She was young black lady, late 20s, lovely thick dark hair tied black in a neat ponytail, a smile which seemed to be a permanent fixture. Her over cheeriness bothered Gail slightly and she usually tried to dish out her best whenever the doctor was around.

"What's up doc?" The nurses had already checked on her today, and she wasn't scheduled for any appointments.  
"Well, actually I'm here with good news. You're healing really well and there's no need for you to be in the hospital anymore, you can continue your recover under some light supervision and regular check ups ontop of your physiotherapy."  
"You hear that detective, I get to leave this cosy hospital for prison! Yay." Jerry just rolled his eyes as the doctor started fidgeting.  
"I'm… I'm sorry I just thought…"  
"No doc don't apologise she's just being a bitch." Jerry cut in, "It is good news."  
"Okay well I start the paperwork then."  
"Thank you,"  
"Yeah… Thanks doc." Gail forced out, her mind was else where. _What does this mean now. _

Once the doctor had left, Gail couldn't hold the questions in anymore, "Jerry what does this mean?!" she sounded panicky, _I am panicky.  
_"Gail, calm down, it just means that things are going to happen a bit faster than we thought."

* * *

**Short chapter! I know but needed it to split somewhere, next update will be quick as I wrote it alongside this chapter. The take down is coming!  
As always reviews are really welcome :) **


	8. Chapter 8- Operation MC

**Things are moving fast and hopefully in a direction (most of) you like! The reviews are really lovely to read so thanks for that!  
Two chapters up in 24 hours so make sure you haven't miss the last one! **

**Tumbfr- This chapter is longer! Promise, last one was difficult to find a place to end.  
LittleBlueMonkeySponge- Thank you! Trying to keep it different but strong links to the characters.  
Paulinemcc- Think Jerry does a pretty good job here!**

Chapter 8- Operation MC

* * *

"You ready?"  
**  
**Gail took a few more steadying breathes, her hand instinctively going to the bandage on her abdomen, _Nothings wrong you're just nervous_. Her left arm was in a tight sling across her body, it was nice to finally be out of the hospital gown, but the sling still felt uncomfortable on. Jerry had done a run to her apartment and bought back a comfortable pair of jeans and a loose fitting t-shirt for her to wear, and her old trusty leather jacket. The nurses had helped her dress, happy to finally get her out of the hospital, it had been less than 2 weeks but they were more than glad to get rid of her.

A few more breathes, and she finally turned to Jerry and nodded.  
"Right then, lets go." Jerry jumped out of the his unmarked cruiser and rounded it to open the door for Gail.  
"I'm not an invalid."  
"Can't a gentleman be chivalrous."  
"Chauvinist." He just chuckled in response as he helped her out of the car.

The cold air hit Gail as she stepped out, winter was truly upon Toronto. She looked up to 15th Division, a different road taken and she may have been here 4 months earlier, fit and healthy, _maybe even happy. _But right now she was worried, they were about to drop a bomb.

"Come on, they're waiting for us." Jerry's face had softened, she nodded again, a few more steadying breathes and she walked toward the doors. It wasn't the first time she had been inside, her mother was a rookie here before becoming detective and starting her steady climb up the ranks, and her brother followed in her footsteps. So as a child many trips had been made there, most kids got taken to the zoo or the beach, but for Gail and Steve it was ride alongs, and days spent in booking watching what happens if you make a few bad turns and decisions in your life.

She didn't recognise anyone on the front desk, and everyone else was already in the briefing room. Jerry didn't bother knocking he just walked in holding the door open for Gail, Frank was stood at the front room addressing all the officers and detectives inside, no one even noticed they had entered except Frank.

"This operation is being run by 15th division and headed by Detective Barber, he's been working this for nearly 6 months now and I'm sure he will be able to tell you a lot more, Detective…" Frank invited Jerry to the front.

That's when everyone turned, eyes searching for Jerry and suddenly stopping and settling on Gail. She looked a lot better than she did last week, most of the swelling on her face had gone down, there was still bruising around her nose from the resetting of the bone, a few stiches were still in, but that was definitely not why they were staring. Jerry was already making his way to the front guiding Gail through the mess of officers and tables in the packed room.

"GAIL!?" Gail hadn't even noticed that Steve was in the room, she turned slightly and wiggled her hand in a small wave.  
"A few of you may recognise Officer Peck," He let the words settle in.  
"OFFICER!?" Steve who was trying to make his way to the front stopped in his tracks. The words hit Gail like a ton of bricks, she knew she was undercover, she knew she was police but this was the first time anyone had addressed her as Officer Peck, _Officer, I like it._

She spotted Diaz, McNally, Nash and Epstein; they were all sat together near the front. She wasn't surprised that they were the ones to be picked for 15, behind her they were probably the best recruits in her class at the academy. Her eye's focused in on Dov, his jaw had dropped and he was muttering 'Officer?' over and over, all her apprehension fell away.

"For the last 6 months I have been planning Operation MC, and for the last 4 Officer Peck has been working undercover within the motorcycle club; The Devil's Whores." He nodded at Gail, wanting her to take over, _my moment to shine._

"The Devil's Whores are a female biker gang with a past full of crimes including gun trafficking and robbery. However there was intel to suggest they were planning a shift in their focus with the Cubans as partners. I went in to collect more information on their plans and any shipments of drugs they had coming in." Another steadying breathe, "We were wrong, the deal with the Cubans had nothing to do with drugs," _The container. _"The crew have become involved in human sex trafficking." The images were swarming her mind.

* * *

Day 8 of no work. Holly was still up at 6 for a run and by 7 was sat at her breakfast bar enjoying an egg white omelette and juice. Since the session yesterday she already felt an improvement. Being able to talk to someone without judgement_, without any previous knowledge of who I am. _She had still woken with a start from a nightmare, but she had managed to sleep more than 4 hours uninterrupted, _got to see the silver lining in life. _Grabbing a freshly brewed cup of coffee she made her way over to sofa and hit the news on and picked up her latest copy of the Canadian medical association journal.  
_  
"Breaking News: We are just getting word of a massive police operation which took place over night. We have Amanda Lee at Toronto's 15__th__ Division to tell us more, Hello Amanda.  
Hello Adam and good morning, I am stood here outside 15 Division where I just spoke with Detective Jerry Barber who headed last night's mass operation. He didn't go into too much detail but he did confirm that last night an operation took place bringing down local motorcycle crew the Devil's Whores." _Holly's ears perked up.

_"He thanked the officers of 15 division for their help, in particular he praised the undercover work of officer Gail Peck who was shot last week in the morgue heist and is currently in recovery."_

Holly had placed her journal down and without even realising was sat on the edge of her seat, staring at the television. _Undercover cop. _Everything was starting to make more sense, _why she saved me_. Why this seemingly random beautiful blonde had saved her and risked her own life in the process, _why I saved her, why I went to see her, did I already know? _It was all adding up, she fell back on the sofa her mind was still racing. All these feelings she'd been having about that day, about that woman, _it's all making sense. _

* * *

People started filing out of the briefing room, Frank was speaking to Jerry and Gail found herself not really knowing what to do. She didn't have a badge and she most definitely wouldn't be cleared for active duty even if she did have one. She couldn't take part in the operation tonight but she needed to watch, needed to see it through to the end. She was broken form her trance by her brother approaching her.

"Gail! What the hell?" Although his question was serious he still had a grin playing at his lips.  
"Oh hey bro." She was smiling as much as her bruises would allow.  
"Don't you look at me like that! You were undercover this whole time?! Mum and Dad are going to kill you, no MUM IS GOING TO KILL YOU! Actually I think I might!"  
Gail was chucking to herself, unfortunately it just agitated her wound and the pain shot threw her. "Eurgh"  
"Woah, Gail are you alright? I was just joking around."  
"Hey back off," Gail playfully shoved him away. "Just forgot to take my meds" She said quickly grabbing the bottle out of her jacket pocket and popping two pills sans water.

Steve looked at his sister properly; she looked like shit. She had been through hell these lasts few months and she had done it off her own back, with no support from Mum and Dad, it filled him with a sense of pride that she was his sister.  
"Gail I am so proud of you." He looked her straight in the eyes. They were never the closest siblings, not in the traditional sense. They had their own way of communicating and this type of praise was not that way.  
"Guns and gangs have made you soft." She gave him another shove, "You have a team to go lead. Don't fuck up my operation."  
"Your operation?" This was more like there usual the playful banter.  
"Yeah asshole, now go do your job!"

Gail looked back to Jerry and Frank, their conversation was coming to an end.  
"You going to be alright to get home Gail?" Jerry asked as he started to make his way out, going to go lead one of the teams.  
"I was thinking I might stick around, watch how this plays out."  
"Yeah sure, you can hang in my office if you want?"  
"Thanks Jerry. And good luck!" He waved as he left.

"Gail I was wondering if we could have a word in my office." Frank had one of those authoritative voices, a bit like Mel in that sense. He was a loyal staff sergeant, always looking out for his officers, probably would be a lot further along in his career if he had been a bit more self-serving, _like my mother. _  
"Of course sir."

She followed him out of the briefing room, failing a bit behind unable to keep up with Frank. She cursed at herself, she hadn't wanted to come in until her pain was in check, _when I didn't look so weak. _As she walked past McNally, who shot her a giant smile, she tired her hardest to keep her face as unreadable as possible, _don't show it._

"Take a seat Peck," Frank made his way round his desk and waited for her to sit before he did himself. "I wanted to have a few words with you about your return, or well start." Gail was a bit startled, she had hoped but not assumed she was going to be a part of 15, she just stared back at Frank with a blank expression.

"You look a bit shocked Peck."  
"I'm sorry sir, I just didn't know I would be at 15, I guess I, well I guess I am shocked."  
"Well you shouldn't be Peck, you were top of your class, and would have graduated as such if you had still been around. And your work in this undercover operation is impeccable. I know many seasoned officers who can't handle going undercover alone like that.  
"Thank you sir, it means a lot coming from you." She knew all about his history with a dozen of undercover operations, most of which he had come out of with commendations.

"Well I just want you to know, that once you are cleared for duty by the department shrink, you are welcome to start and hopefully you'll be cleared for active duty shortly after that. I hope you don't mind but I spoke to the doctors at the hospital they say you are expecting a full recovery."  
"Yes, I was extremely lucky."  
"Yes indeed. I assume you want to see the rest of this operation play out so I will let you get back out there. But before you go," He reached inside his desk. "This belongs to you." He passed over a small black box.

She recognised it immediately, she'd been forced to sit through a 3 hour ceremony to watch her brother receive a box exactly like this. She open it up to see a shiny new badge, _8727._

* * *

The operation was coming to end by 5am, all the busts were done. The clubhouse, bar and garage had been raided by a team lead by Steve, and one of the suspected brothels by Jerry's team. The operation had been coordinated with a squad in Vancouver who had also taken down a brothel and arrest several of the Cubans involved in the ring.

Gail was sat at Jerry's desk looking at the board on the back wall. It was a mess of pictures; **The Devil's Whores** was written in bold letters above mug shots, or surveillance shots, of everyone in the club, including Gail. Everyone had notes next to their pictures; Names, age, past convictions, relation to club, any other know affiliations or connections. Post-it notes littered the board, a mix match of added notes Jerry has scribbled as he had worked stuff out.

There was another set of pictures- **The Cubans**. She only recognised about 4 of the 10 photos on the board, and could only name Hugo and Lucas, but recognised the shots of Javier and Diego both who had visited the club. They were all on the bottom tier of the triangle. And a big question mark sat at the top, **_Don_** written below it. This Entire operation was bigger than Gail imagined. Jerry had worked so hard on it and she felt so proud to have been a part of it, _it was worth it. _But even with all the takedowns tonight she knew that unless one of the Cubans flipped, that they had only made a small dent in their much larger operation.

Gail had spent the last 5 hours listening in to reports coming in on the radio, officers slowly returning, having dropped prisoners in a separate booking facility and reading through Jerry's notes. His notes were unorganised and written on old-fashioned note books, yet they were extremely detailed.

All the information Gail had been feeding him for the last 4 months all written down and investigated. He had found the fake documents the club had used to bring in the containers, and the officials they had bribed, and after that the rest fell into place. He had gotten the drivers to give up locations, and found the Cubans had been running the brothels themselves, keeping the girls high as kites on some of the heroine they were bringing in and recording everything to blackmail officials who had been coming in. It just made this takedown all that much sweeter, after this they would find the tapes and slowly start tracking down everyone who had ever entered those veil places.

"Hey… Gail?" She had been so engrossed in her own thoughts she hadn't noticed Chris entering Jerry's office. He stood in the doorway, looking slightly like a lost puppy. She wasn't really sure what to say, things at the academy hadn't ended on good terms and Chris had tried to contact her for weeks after she had left and her slightly exaggerated past went public. Gail had liked him, more than she would admit to anyone, his kind nature always looked past her snide remarks. No matter what she threw his way he would always try to smile back, at first she found it infuriating, then slightly endearing. He was as kind and caring in bed as he was out of it, and Gail enjoyed her time with him, but deep down she knew that they weren't right together, and she thought that if Chris really questioned it, he knew too.

She eventually found the words and replied, "Hey Chris."  
He stood a little straighter as she finally acknowledged him and entered the room fully, "I was hoping, that maybe we could talk." He was obviously nervous, his shoulders were hunched and his eyes searching for somewhere to look other than at Gail.

Slowly she stood up and approached him, placing her hand lightly on his arms he finally looked at her, "Chris," She almost pleaded. "Its okay to look at me. I'm not going to break."  
"I'm sorry, I just… you disappeared Gail. You just left."  
"its okay to be mad Chris, its okay to hate me."  
"You were doing your job, I see that now."  
"Yeah but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt, and if it makes any difference I am so sorry Chris, I really didn't want to hurt you." He had been so nice to her one of the few, probably the only one who had been truly her friend in the academy.

He leant forward and kissed her lightly on her lips, he lingered, it wasn't a passionate kiss, it was soft and caring. Gail didn't move nor did her lips, her eyes fluttered shut by themselves but as Chris slowly pulled back, hovering slightly her eyes flew open. "I'm sorry Chris…" His eyes slowly starting to open, she saw the understanding. He just nodded, placing a hand on her uninjured arm and giving it a light squeeze before he turned and left, stopping just before the door, "I'm glad you're back Gail."

* * *

**Obviously sex trafficking is a really hard subject to approach and I am trying to with as much sensitivity as I can, it's a very big problem in the world and a lot of people like to think its something that isn't happening in developed countries but it is. Canada has actually come under a lot of pressure around the issue, and have really started to address the issue in the last few years. There is lots of information online about it, so Google away, but I am sorry if this is crossing anyone's personal boundaries or comfort zones, this story is meant for entertainment purposes.  
****Appreciate the reviews as ever!  
****I need some officer lunchbox/Golly/Plus one forever. The show isn't giving it to me so I am making it! Hopefully next chapter might see some! **

**(Also fun fact the Canadian medical association journal is actually real… who knew. This is the level of research I do for you!)**


	9. Chapter 9- Questions

**Woop the reviews keep coming! Really appreciate them all. Looks like most of you are happy with were this is going!  
Hope you like:**

Chapter 9- Questions

* * *

Holly sat there glued to the television for over an hour, hoping there would be more updates on the operation that had happened over night. She scoured through all the local and national news channels, they were all just saying the same thing. _'Big police operation taken place overnight in Toronoto and Vancouver, dozens of arrests including the breaking down of Toronoto based Motorcycle club- The Devil's Whore.'_

There was no more news on her mysterious blonde, _MY mysterious… where did that come from. _Officer Gail Peck, that's what the news had told her. Holly wondered if there any connection to Superintendent Peck. Then she realised, _why am I sat her wondering, _she ran back into her room quickly grabbing her laptop of her desk and running back to the sofa not wanting to miss any updates on the news.

'**_Gail Peck' _**she typed into google, about 950,000 results in 0.37 seconds. She reduced the results to the Toronto area and started filtering through the results. Clicking on everything she could she had about 10 tabs open before she started reading, something from 8 months ago caught her eye.

_'Superintendent's Daughters past revealed- Toronto's Superintendent Elaine Peck is under the more scrutiny after the full details of hushed up criminal offences made by her daughter, Gail Peck, were revealed._' Holly felt like she was studying, trying to wrap her head around a very tricky subject.

After another 2 hours she finally had a picture forming in her head;  
1- over 8 months ago criminal offenses Officer Peck may or may not have been not have been involved in became public knowled

2- Her mother, and father also high up in the police command chain, came under scrunity and pressure for hushing it up.

3- There is no record of Gail online for about 6 months

4- 9 days ago Holly meet officer Peck in Diva

5- 8 days ago Officer Peck saved my life

6- 8 days ago I saved Officer Peck's life

* * *

"Steve where the fuck are you?" Gail muttered to herself, she was sat at the bar staring at her phone deciding whether or not to text Steve again. She never should have agreed to this, he had caught her in the early hours in the morning after the operation was coming to an end, just as she was trying to sneak out home. After a lot of convincing, _and threats_, Gail conceded and agreed to meet him for a drink later once they both got some sleep. Now it was… _7.52 _and Steve was meant to be here at 7.30. Gail had deliberately been late and not gotten there til 7.45, even though she had been sat alone in her apartment counting down the clock. She didn't want to be sat in the Penny alone waiting for steve, just like she was now.

The Penny was 15th Divisions' bar. It was nice friendly cop bar, plenty of seating, darts board and pool table, it wasn't all that different than The Devil's Whore bar, _two sides of the same coin. _She was still staring down at her phone when it buzzed and light up, causing her to jump ever so slightly.

**Detective Badass- Hey sorry! I'm on my way now got held up with mum, long story. Be there in 20.**

She was back on her old phone and she smiled at the name he had programmed in for himself, a bit more when she remembered the name she had put in for herself.

**The better Peck- Asshole. Get here soon.**

She threw her phone down, just as the door to the bar opened, turning a little too vigorously, "Eurgh…" she groaned, and then again as she spotted it wasn't Steve walking in but McNally closely followed by Nash. Gail tried to hide herself but it was still early and the bar was relatively quiet, there was no cover. She saw out of her peripheral vision that they spotted her and were making there way over. She gulped back her coke and flagged down the bartender, he nodded in acknowledgement but continued flirting with a young woman down the end of the bar, _a badge bunny, easy pickings._

"Hey Gail!" Andy's voice was chirpier than normal as she slid up next to her.  
Gail gritted her teeth but forced herself to reply, "Hi." Gail had nothing against Andy, she seemed nice, she had history in the force just like her but Gail knew how Andy saw her- _Privileged Bitch. Maybe she's right.  
_"I…" she was stuttering,  
"Andy we don't have to do this." Gail interrupted.  
"Sorry, what?"  
"We were never friends." Gail just stated bluntly. "And we don't have to be now."

Traci approached with two beers in hand, "How the hell did you get those?" Gail blurted.  
"Hi Gail, nice too see you too. The bartender is a sleaze, but if he likes me and keeps serving me, who am I to complain?"  
Gail liked Traci, she was down to earth, not judgemental, she worked hard and more importantly she knew when to leave Gail alone. She nodded at Andy and pointed with the bottles at a table in the corner. "See you around Gail."  
Gail just huffed in response too busy giving the bartender evils to speak.

"The guys are coming down in a bit to celebrate last night's bust, we all got the weekend off, so you know, if you want to join we'll be over there…" Andy was rattling off, but Gail had tuned her out. She didn't want to sit with them, especially not with Dov, and it was too soon to be around Chris, she needed to give him some space.  
"AH FINALLY!" She shouted as the bartender approached rolling his eyes at her comment, before pausing. "AH Come on!"  
"So… we're just over there."  
Gail's phone buzzed again:  
**Dectective Badass- 15 minutes tops!**

"Eurgh," she just slumped back in the stool. Andy was still stood next to her, this is why she didn't want to get here first.  
"Right… okay… bye Gail." She even did a little wave before finally joining Traci who seemed to be laughing at the whole interaction.

"What can I get you?" The bartender had finally made his way to her, Traci was right, _very sleazy._ Gail eyed her empty coke glass before deciding, _fuck it, _"Jack and coke, make it a double."

* * *

Holly couldn't help but listen in as she stood outside Jerry's door, her fist raised ready to knock.  
"Jerry, go home! You've done enough for today. You've been up for 20 hours at least!"  
"Yeah you're right!" He sighed.  
"Go get a drink on me, the rookies are at the penny having a drink, join them! They look up to you."  
He hummed in agreement, "Guess they do! Thank Frank."

The door swung open and Holly was caught there, hand still raised waiting to knock.  
"Oh," She stumbled back a bit, "Sorry! I just came to talk… and..." Suddenly doubting her motives for coming. She spent the entire morning researching Officer Peck, her family and her supposed past crimes. Then another few hours on the Devil's Whore. After pacing, writing notes, making mind maps and talking to herself for a few more hours she made the decision to leave the house, _in search of answers_. And now she was here, in 15 Division suddenly blushing at how silly she must look. In the list of priorities after a major operation like this, Holly was sure giving her a few answers wasn't near the top.

"Hey Holly," He stepped aside slightly, "Dr Holly Stewart this is Staff Sergeant Frank Best, Frank this is Holly."  
Frank was a tall well built man, he stuck his hand out and after a second Holly remembered that usually meant for a handshake.  
"Sorry, I'm a bit flustered at the moment," She said shaking his hand firmly. "Its nice to meet you."  
"You too Dr Stewart, I've read a few reports with your name on them all very impressive work. I'm sorry about what happened to you last week."  
"Thank you sir." He gave her a pleasant smile, before leaving.  
"Go home Jerry!" He shouted back before turning the corner.

Jerry chuckled to himself before settling his full attention on Holly. "So Holly how can I help?"  
Holly's head was swimming with questions but all she managed to get out was, "Operation MC." It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement. She let it hang in the air before Jerry nodded, and led her back into his office.

"This is it," He gestured around the room, all the walls were covered in pictures, mostly mug shots arranged by affiliation, **Cubans, Devil's Whores, Clientele. **One photo caught her eye, _the blonde, Officer Peck._ She walked towards the walls, reading the notes around it. This was much bigger than the news was reporting. "It's been a long operation, I got involved more than 10 months ago, and the last 4 months its been running my life."

_4 Months, _her eyes found the blonde's picture again, next to the photo there were notes- Gail Peck, affiliation approx. 4 months. "Officer Peck, she went undercover for you then?"  
"Yes," He nodded obviously impressed. "We got her out of the academy, made her disappear for a bit."  
"When you put her history in the press." She was still engrossed in his notes, everything adding up so quickly.  
"Yeah, then about 4 months ago she went in."

"That body in the woods…" There was a picture of it in the middle of the Cubans and Devil's Whores photos, lines connecting it to both. "Its connected to all of this, that's why they were trying to steal it." She was musing aloud, Jerry was just sat back on the edge of his desk, allowing her to put the pieces together.  
"With the body we had all the evidence, it connected everything."

Holly was just stood there taking everything in, but she still had so much she needed to know. Her mind kept drifting to the source of her questions, drifting back to the blonde. "Is she… Is she okay?"  
Jerry hesitated for a second. "Officer Peck?" Holly just nodded. "She's… she's doing okay. Actually you know what, I think Steve said he was meeting her at the Penny, the cop bar a few blocks away. I'm heading there now actually, if you want to come along, you could ask me all the questions you want on the way. And I guess you and Gail can finally meet properly."

* * *

Gail was well into her 3rd drink by the time Steve arrived. _8.20_ she quickly glanced at the clock behind the bar.  
"You asshole." She didn't even bother to look at him as you muttered out her insult.  
"Nice to see you too sis."

"You're nearly an hour late." This time she turned to give him 'the glare'. But she must have turned a little too fast or the alcohol was affecting her…_ a lot.  
_"Wow there Gail," His arm found her back, bringing her back upright. "Should you be drinking on your meds?"  
"Shut up." She bit back to which he just chuckled.  
"I see hanging out with a load of biker girls hasn't made you any nicer."

They talked happily, bantering back and forth for about half hour before Steve bought up the last year. "You going to tell me about it or you going to make me ask?"  
"Guess this is you asking then?"  
"Gail…"  
She cut him off, "No Steve, I'm sorry, I should have told you, but I couldn't."

"Gail…" He tired again.  
"No Steve… lemme… I… I need to say this." The alcohol was fully taking control. "I just needed to do this." Her words were slurred but she focused herself, and chose them carefully. "It was hard and its haunting, the stuff they did Steve. The stuff they did to those girls. It…" She closed her eyes and just focused on speaking. "It was so hard, but I had to do it Steve, I needed to prove I could do it." The tears were rolling down her cheeks.  
"Gail." She peeled her eyes open and looked at Steve, he had come off his stool and was stood close to her, his arm hovering over her back. "I am so proud of you." His words held so much sincerity, they shook her to her very core. She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder.

After giving her a minute and a few light pats on her back, he took a step back. "I need to take a piss." Gail snorted slightly. He knew her so well, he knew that after that she needed her space, even if just for a few minutes to compose herself, put back up those walls she loved to hide behind so much. She light shoved him away with him right arm as he just smiled and walked away.

She wiped the reminisce of tears off her eyes, took a few steadying breathes and finished her drink letting the alcohol warm her as it slipped down her throat. It was nearing 9 and time for her to take another pain med, she slipped the bottle out of her jacket and hesitated looking at the empty glass no sitting in front of her. She popped the bottle down on the bar, "Hey! Can I get another round down here!" She called out to the bartender.

* * *

Jerry drove Holly to the Penny, she had been there once before; when she started at the morgue her boss and a few of the lab techs had gone on a rare social visit, _never again._ In the car Holly used the opportunity to question Jerry some more. Some were random curious questions things like how many people had been arrested, when the trails would begin things, which if she had been more patient would be answered on the news. But others were much more direct, things which effected her directly like when would she have to come in for her deposition. She danced around what she really want to ask about, _the blonde._

Jerry answered all her questions as best as he could. He knew Holly had been through a lot and as they got out of the car in front of the Penny, his own curiosity of got the better of him. "Holly, how have you been? It takes a lot out of you, shooting someone. Cops can't even always handle that and we're trained for it."  
"I'm talking to someone about it."  
"Good, I saw a shrink after my first shooting, it helped, a lot"  
"Your first?"  
"Yeah been involved in 4, only discharged my weapon 3 times, never been shot and never had to take a life. I was lucky. But they all took a lot out of me, the shrink taught me some coping strategies- ways to work throughout. And it gets better." Holly chuckled slightly at the irony of the statement.

They were right by the entrance as she recognised Officer Nash coming out with her phone to her ear. She looked back to Jerry who's eyes had found there way to Officer Nash. She smiled at the way he looked at her, with such affection in his eyes and face.  
"Erm, I need to talk to Officer Nash about something, I'll see you in there?"  
"Yeah, yeah of course take your time," She replied without thinking and entered the bar.

Once inside she looked around lost, maybe she should have waited for Jerry. _You're in a bar be normal, get a drink! _She walked toward the bar and she spotted her. The bright blonde platinum hair made her hard to miss, she was sat on a bar stool flagging down the bar tender. Straight cut dark washed jeans wrapped around her legs slightly tucked into a large pair of old leather combat boots, a tight fitting black t-shirt showed off her toned arms even with the sling wrapping her left arm across her body. She looked very similar to the first time they had met.

Holly was frozen, she was unsure if to wait for Jerry or to approach the officer herself. They weren't exactly strangers; they had met twice now, talked, _flirted, _and saved each other's lives. In a lot of ways they were very close. She stood a little longer hoping Jerry would come in but he didn't. She finally gave in. The blonde was sat on her own, maybe she would appreciate some company.

* * *

**Well… Next chapter is gonna be interesting. The SLOW BURN is killing me too. ** **This was kinda a processing chapter, to clear up the timeline etc. and the thoughts behind Holly a bit more. **  
**Reviews are really appreciated and definitely motivate me to write a lot quicker.**


	10. Chapter 10- Drunken Answers

**Haha Right so bare with me here, I came home the other night after a bit of a pub crawl and outlined this entire chapter, I even wrote a little A/N which didn't make that much sense but the outline did so… yeah quite a bit of adding in, and fixing of spelling and we have this!  
****Basically I'm happy is drunk me made character development**

**I'm trying to get the happy medium of updating regularly and making the story develop and doing the characters justice. The reviews as always are really appreciated, so let me know if you think I've rushed this at all, I can slow it down/break it down a bit more. But personally I wanted this (and by popular demand) we have officer lunchbox…**

Chapter 10- Drunken answers

* * *

She stretched out her long hands and clenched them few times, she needed to feel grounded, _prepared. _She walked up to the bar, raising her hand to get the barman's attention as she went to stand by the blonde. "Hi."

The blonde turned her head to look at Holly, bright blue eyes searching for whoever dared speak to her. Those eyes had haunted her dreams. The blonde's eyebrows knitted in confusion.  
"I'm Holly," She tired to help the blonde out. "We meet… at the bar and… in the lab, you saved me, and well I guess I saved you," her hands were flapping as she spoke. "I'm sorry to bother you. I just wanted to I don't know, introduce myself." She was rambling, and she knew it but the blonde just sat there, silent. "Maybe buy you a drink, although looks like you already have one, I don't know I'm sorry I shouldn't have come. I'm sorry for intruding."

She was just turning to leave as Officer Epstein approached the bar, "Hey Doc!"  
"Oh… err… Hi Officer Epstein." She was still berating herself for her ramble that everything came out a bit flustered.

"Dov please," _was he flirting? _"Do you want to join us for a drink, we're celebrating!"  
She looked over to corner, a few other rookies Holly had seen before where there.  
"No I just came to…" Why had she come again? She just looked to the blonde, her mouth open trying to voice a reason.  
"For her?" He was laughing, the blonde who had still be looking at Holly rolled her head across her body lazily until she was glaring at Dov, a noise almost like a growl being admitted by her.

Holly know stood with her brows knitted staring at the young Officer.  
"Sorry what?" Her voice suddenly sounding much more assertive.  
"Good luck is all." She just continued to stare and until he added "Just there's a reason everyone called her _the bitch_ at the academy."  
Holly couldn't believe it. The nerve of this man, _no this boy. _"Who the hell are you to judge her? You have no idea what she has done, who is she." She didn't know why she was defending the blonde so much, she didn't know her either. She was stepping towards the young officer, almost towering over him, taking a step with every statement. The blonde had swirled in her stool, now facing the standoff in front of her, slumping slightly with her back on the bar, eyebrows raise and an amused expression playing on her lips.

"I've only known her a week and I already trust her to be twice the officer you'll be." _Where is this coming from… stop talking!_  
"Christ LADY! She's a bitch alright. Everyone knows it," The blonde, starting nodding at that causing her to become a bit wobbly on her stool. "You wait you'll figure it out in time, you don't have to go all bat shit crazy on me." _Crazy?_ He quickly ran off back to the corner before a Holly had a chance to snap at the crazy comment.

He passed Steve as he scurried off coming back from the bathroom. "Oh hi, I'm Steve."

Holly was broken out of her trance, "Holly, Holly Stewart." Taking his hand, _firm handshake. _  
"Hang on, the doctor from…" He was about to ask until he was cut off.  
"I'm…" The blonded started, practically shouting as she dragged out the word, slurring it too and smiling up at Holly and Steve, she was blinking lots. "Gail!" She finished pushing herself forward off the bar, _too forcefully_, straight off the stool and straight into Holly's arms, who caught her as carefully as possible.

"ompphfed." The blonde groaned.

"I got you." She looked over to Steve who had his head in his hand, his shoulders bouncing as he chuckled.

"Yep-p."

* * *

They drop her unceremoniously into the bed. Earning them another groan.

She still awake but very drunk. Steve had found the entire situation funny, saying he hadn't seen her like this since she was 16 and got drunk in the park with some friends. But Holly didn't find this funny. The pain meds she was on, Hydromorphone, and alcohol did not mix well, you can never tell how they will mix in any one singular person. With Gail it didn't seem to causing her in any pain. She was just very drunk.

Gail hadn't spoken much since they left the bar, Steve drove them back in his truck. Holly helped him get Gail to the car and next thing she knew she was trying to belt the blonde into the back seat of the truck and they were pulling away from the bar. Holly still inside. She hadn't really minded and it was only about half way to wherever they were going that she realised she had left Jerry at the bar, he wouldn't mind but she should probably text him.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Holly asked, looking around the apartment, it looked tidy but she couldn't really judge as there was hardly anything in the room, just a box at the end bed slightly open. It looked like she had just moved in, but there was a thin layer of dust around the room, on the empty shelves and the window still. She must have left the house empty when she was undercover, _must be weird to be back._

"Who knows with Gail, she is just always a little closed off I guess." Steve replied, phone in hand not really paying much attention.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Gail is lovely, she can be loving and caring and the kindest person I know but she has been hurt and put down so much she will never really open herself up to someone. Maybe after this it will change her, who knows." His phone started ringing in his hand. "Sorry I need to take this, can you watch her for me." He walked out the room before she had a chance to reply.

She looked down on the bed, Gail had turned around and was now lying on her back with her head hanging off the end of the bed, a giant smirk on her face staring at Holly, the expression was almost child like. The right arm was stretched out, her hand rubbing the sheets below.  
"You're pretiful." She mumbled.  
"Pretiful? Err…. Right I'm going to get you some water."

She returned a minute later, a large glass of water in her hand, almost slipping it as she saw the blonde, still stretched out on the bed, her belt undone, trousers half slipped off, and t-shirt pushed up. She couldn't help her own reaction, her throat conscriting tightly, the unconsciously licking of lips as her eyes raked over the blondes body. She was snapped out of her trance quickly at the sound of Steve's return.

"Hey! Oh… what the hell Gail." He sighed. "I have to go," he was waving his phone around like an explanation. "You're her friend right? Can you make sure she's alright? Thanks I owe you!" he was out again before she could reply. Leaving her shell-shocked.  
"STEVE!" it took her a moment but she finally managed to get it out.  
"Yeah?" He popped his head back round the door. If she wanted to get out of this, this was her only chance.

"I… Do I need to know anything?"  
He laughed, "No tomatoes, likes caffeine." He chuckled again, "look if you need to get hold of me here's my number." He passed her his card and was out of the door again.

_Oh god, what have I got myself into. _She looked down to the blonde, was she pointing at something? She followed her eyes to a box in the corner, she looked back to the blonde for confirmation and receive a little nod, _maybe she wanted her pyjamas or something. _She picked up the box and bought it over, the blonde scrambled to reach it, Holly eventually helping her to sit.

Her hand was clumsily knocking the stuff in box around, but she knew what she was looking for. Making a slightly gleeful sound when she found it she pulled a tequila bottle out of the box.  
"Oh no no no," Holly felt liked was talking to a child, but a very strong child as she tried to wrestle the bottle out of the blonde's tight grasp. "You can't drink anymore, you really shouldn't have been in the first place." The blonde just huffed as Holly eventually won the bottle.  
"Why don't we get you into bed properly

* * *

She wakes up disorientated, theres a shaking next to her and her head is pounding. Carefully rolling over Gail finds the source of the jolting, the doctor is next to her, asleep in her bed, most likely having some kind of nightmare. She hesitates for a moment, trying to put the pieces together. She was in the bar, she was drinking, _a lot_, and with her pain meds, she must have gotten a little too drunk and the doctor took her home._ Why did this woman, who did not know her, keep saving her_? And now she was asleep in Gail's bed, and Gail was half undressed, _when did this happen?_

She looked over to the doctor again, her face was contorted, she was groaning slightly, whimpering even. Her body jolting ever so often and her hands were in fists, her entire body looked to be tensed. She was obviously having a nightmare. Gail remembered all of her nightmares and whenever she dreamt now a days it was nightmares. The pain meds in the hospital had helped, sending her in a deep dreamless sleep. But when she had tired to sleep after she got home from the station, she had found herself jolting awake an hour later, covered in a thin sheen of sweat. The nightmare replaying in her head. If there had been someone there to wake her up from her nightmares, she knew she would have appreciated it.

She sat up slightly, and reached over to the doctor. Gail wasn't great at this kind of thing, she tried to be gentle but ended up prodding the doctor with two finger, "Hey… Hello… Hey wake up…." Still nothing, she tried a little shove, then another slightly harder, "hey wake up! You're having a nightmare…" Sighing about to give up she shook the doctor.

The next thing she knew, she was pinned. Flat on her back, an arm at her neck, the other ready to throw a punch above her head. Even though she had no way of escape and the way the doctor;s body was pushed against her was causing pain, she couldn't help but be slightly excited at the situation with the very beautiful doctor lying on top of her. Subconsciously licking her lips before speaking. "Wow, hey, hey calm down! You were having a nightmare!"

The doctor suddenly sat up, a look of horror upon her face. Gail groaned as she tried to follow her up into a sitting position. "Hey it's alright, some random chick just shook you awake. I don't do well either when people wake me up." She didn't know why but she wanted the doctor to like her, she was trying to make a good impression and Gail Peck did not try with anyone.

"No no, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep here, I just… I bought you back with Steve and he had to leave and then you were trying to get more alcohol and you wouldn't stop and then I managed to get you into bed and then you were trying to talk and I don't know I must have fallen asleep." The doctor was speaking so fast and with the alcohol still in Gail's system she just sat there dumbfounded nodding along to the words she was spewing out so fast. "And oh my god, I just attacked you and you were just being nice and waking me when I was having a bad dream, and I attacked you and oh my god you have a serious injury, you were shot, saving me and now I just attacked you, and pinned you, and oh my god are you okay?"

Perhaps it was the doctor's cute way of always rambling or her slightly dishevelled but somehow beautiful look, or perhaps Gail's slightly inebriated-self acting out, or the need for human connection after so long of denying herself any that she did it. Whichever it was Gail stopped questioning it the second her lips touched the doctors. The kiss was not long, just enough for her lips to feel the doctor's reacting.  
"You're insane," she spoke just millimetres away from her lips.  
"So I've been told…" The doctor's eyes had shot open, dark brown orbs starting into Gail's blue ones.  
"I'm going to sleep now." She lay back down.  
"Right…" The doctor's voice was a lot quieter, her words coming out almost like questions. "Sleep. Yeah."  
"Uh huh nerd, sleep." Gail was already getting sleepily and she could feel herself failing away peacefully for the first time in months with a smile on her face.

* * *

**What do you think? Sorry for the delay with the update, it was basically finished last night but I was really tired and rightfully did not trust my proofreading!  
Next chapter is already started, so should be coming soon, let me know if you want to see anything in particular happen. Prompts welcome. **


	11. Chapter 11- Introductions

**Haha-so much hate for Dov. There will be some explanation as why Dov has an anti-Gail agenda eventually. I wrote this a bit rushed as I'm away for the weekend and wanted to get another update in beforehand.  
As always reviews are really appreciated, thank you for all the support.  
Paulinemcc- thank you for all the reviews!  
Jskippy- Yeah Steve is weird… there may be reasons. Maybe.  
Tumbfr- I love the rambling too, I just hope I'm doing it to Dr Stewart's standards and more rambling to come.**

**So now to deal with the morning after**

Chapter 11- Introductions

* * *

Holly had laid there for what felt like hours before she finally fell asleep. She wanted to leave, but leaving after what happened and in the middle of the night, it wouldn't look she spent hours lying there, staring up at the ceiling trying to process what had just happened.

When she woke up it was dawn, the light just creaking into the bedroom, Holly hadn't even noticed when she came in last night that next to the few boxes sat some blinds. There were no curtains and the light was shining in around the bed glowing beautifully around the blonde who laid next to her. The beautiful blonde who was snoring softly and muttering in her sleep. She had drank a lot last night and would be in need of water and her next dose of painkillers when she woke up, and from Steve said a coffee.

Taking a moment to watch the blonde before slipping out of bed, she went on a hunt for coffee. She found, unpack and set up the coffee machine. Gail obviously hadn't been in here long if something so basic wasn't set up. There was coffee granules and sugar, a few basic things in the cupboard, but the fridge was empty, _no milk black coffee it is._ Grabbing a half open box of cereal, juggled the coffees, water and cereal back into the bedroom.

She spotted the pain meds sticking out of the blonde's jeans, and she put them on the bedside cabinet next to the water and coffee before getting back into the bed coffee in hand, and cereal box sat on her lap.

"Mmmmm…" the blonde hummed, "coffee" The way the word slipped out it was almost erotic, like a moan. Holly couldn't help but stop, hand mid way to her mouth a handful of cereal in tow, and stare slightly slacked jawed. Regaining her composure she popped the cereal on her mouth and munched just loud enough to make sure the blonde was aware of her presence.

"Morning," she finally said, taking a sip of her blonde rolled slightly, her hair was a mess, sleep around her eyes, and she was looking up with a frowny face and barely opened eyes, _she's still kind of cute._ She just groaned, turning back over, and sitting up. Taking her time she reached across herself popping a few pain meds, followed by a long swig of water, then a few sips of coffee before finally turning and speaking, the silence was killing Holly.

"Why are you here?" Her voice was huskier than last night and slightly accusing.  
"You don't remember anything from last night?" Holly quipped back not missing a beat.

The blonde just frowned again, facing forward out of the window, the sun was coming up over the tops of the distant buildings now and the window gave a prefect view out. "You bought me back here with Steve. You looked after me." Each statement was an accusation, _an accusation I can't deny. _"Then you stayed, why?" Holly couldn't help but smile, her head tilting slightly as she did trying to look the blonde in the eye.

Finally making eye contact she extended her hand, "I'm Holly Stewart, its nice to finally meet _you_."

* * *

It had been two and a half weeks since that morning, _that morning, _with Dr Stewart and Gail had done an excellent job of avoiding her. Gail had let her in for some reason, she had only met her twice, and both times it wasn't really her. She had been a different person in gay bar, in the morgue she was a criminal, even if she had saved the doctor it had been instinct. It had only been that morning sat in her bed, drinking coffee, talking and eating cereal straight out of a box that they were properly introduced to each other.

Holly wasn't like everyone else, she handled all the sass Gail could throw at her, and in the morning Gail was even less friendly than normal. They had chatted about nothing for over an hour, neither of them breaching the topic of a kiss. Eventually Holly asked about her time undercover and surprisingly, even to herself, she answered. It felt good to have someone to tell someone who wasn't judging her mental state, or didn't know who she was before, just someone who wasn't judging her at all.

Gail had even asked her about her dreams, if they were regularly and when they started, the doctor took her time but answered all her questions; no matter how obscure they would have seemed to her.

The whole morning had made Gail so relaxed, she felt less stressed than she had in months. The tension on her shoulders was lifted, she found herself smiling. When Gail had gotten up to go to her appointment with the department shrink they had exchanged numbers. It was only when she sat down in the shrink's office actually speaking, talking about her feelings just had she had to Holly that the impact the woman had had on her, this beautiful, kind, intelligent and amazing woman who wanted to get to know her. And Gail was not the kind of person to just open up. So she did what she always did and ran, _hid, _from the doctor and her feelings.

Luckily after two weeks and several physio and shrink appointments later she was cleared for desk duty, giving her something to distract herself from her thought. Moping around her flat had only caused her more confusion, she had unpacked, bought more furniture, stocked up all the cupboards, fridge and freezer there was only so much to do.

But now it was day 3 of desk duty and it was killing her, the first day she had been put with Officer Shaw, he was a nice older guy and would be her TO. She had expected 'the talk'- the I'm your boss, listen to me, I know best, do as I say not as I do but he cut through the bs and got to the point, "yes you have undercover experience, and you probably have more knowledge of the police force than most of the rookies who came here before you, but you still need to catch up. And it's my job to make sure you can and do."

Day two Chris had volunteered to be on desk duty but 'luckily' for her Staff Sergeant Best had already assigned McNally. She wasn't as cheery as usual and had been pouting and frowning for most of the day. She made it til the last hour of her shift and McNally's fifth exasperated sigh til she cracked. "WHAT!?" She snapped.  
McNally jumped slightly looking like a deer in headlights. "Sorrweee…" She squeaked out.  
"No don't be sorry, just stop sighing and moping and being all depressed. That's my thing."  
McNally actually chuckled at Gail's last statement. "I am sorry, I just things have been weird her recently…" And then suddenly Gail knew everything, everything from the last few months, she was completely up to date on hook ups, crushes and the complete list of top five fuck ups of the rookies. _McNally isn't too bad. _

Day 3 she was stuck on the front desk with Dov, he kept sending her evils, which she was more than happy to return, _prick. _She had been a bitch in the academy she knew that, she was a bitch to everyone equally she didn't discriminate. So sure people didn't really like her, but with Dov she couldn't work out a rational reason why he hated her so much. She didn't spend too much time questioning it, he wasn't worth it but there wasn't much else to focus on.

"Hey Peck! You clear to drive?" Oliver popped up behind her.  
"Yes, please tell me you have something for me" She was begging. Although her arm was still meant to be in a sling now in a loose cravat sling which was just hanging around her head, rather than the tight triangle one she had had across her body. She had pretty much full mobility in her arm and had been cleared by the physio to drive just before she started back at work. And hopefully within the month she would be cleared for active duty, once her abdomen was completely healed.

"Good I need some results from the lab and you can go get them, maybe put some pressure on the techs."  
_The Lab… _Gail had tuned out after that it was only after he shoved the folder into her hands and added "What are you waiting for that? You can take squad 1509."

* * *

Holly was a scientist first, in her mind science made life simpler. There were very few things Holly puts above science. There are some things Holly knows she can never understand and she learnt at a very young age sometimes the best thing you can do is enjoy them. _Coincedence- a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection, _a bit like staring at your phone wishing for a response from a certain person then them casually walking into your lab like they haven't been ignoring you for two weeks and three days, not that Holly was keeping count.

After the morning she had spent with Gail, she felt a hundred times better, like a weight had been lifted. She knew that everything that happened that day in the lab had been the right thing, that Gail had saved her, and in return Holly her. She knew that by taking the life of someone she didn't know she had saved a kind hearted and loving if a bit closed off police officer. She knew she had done the right thing. And on top of all of this she thought she had made a friend.

But after two weeks and Holly sending a few easy going 'hey, how are you?' and 'fancy grabbing a drink?' texts with no response, she was starting to think she had scared off the blonde with her honesty. The blonde had asked curiously in the morning wanting to know about Holly's dreams, how she was feeling, why she had saved her, and Holly had taken her time but answers truthfully.

So after staring at her phone for five minutes wondering if to text the blonde again and looking up to see her standing there in the doorway to her lab looking everywhere but at Holly, she couldn't help but smile at the mystery of coincidence.

"Hi," The blonde seemed sheepish somehow, fiddling with the folder in her hands.  
"Hello, Officer Peck." She was trying to be professional, if Gail didn't want to be her friend then that was that, if she did then the ball was in her court.  
"I.. erm, Officer Shaw gave me this…" She held her hand out to Holly who had walked round the counter she was working towards the young officer taking the folder from her.  
"Thank you."  
"Don't thank me yet, he wanted me to check on some results, maybe get a rush on them. The tech downstairs said you were working on it."  
"Yep that's me, the DNA is still being worked up, will probably take a couple of hours more"  
"And you can't make it go any faster?"  
Holly arched an eyebrow at the challenge, "Yeah sure I'll just rush the polymiserised chain reaction not like that's important, maybe you could chip in, how are you with identifying short tandem repeats?"  
"You could have just said no."

After half an hour of uncomfortable silence, Gail cracked. "I don't want to be here."  
"I hadn't noticed." Holly replied very blandly. The blonde had been huffing regularly, and had called Officer Shaw twice to see if she could leave and come back before the end of her shift to get the results, he had refused making her stay in case the results came back quicker, and she had very loudly stated her dissatisfaction at the situation.

"I'm sorry. I don't like it here. After…" After a moment of silent Holly looked up from her computer and saw where the blonde was staring, out of the door across the hallway into the morgue.  
"Gail…"  
"I'm sorry Holly, I'm not good at this stuff. Being a nice person doesn't come naturally to me."  
"I don't believe that."  
The blondes head shot up, "It doesn't matter if you believe it, its true. I'm not a nice person."  
"You are to me."  
"You're different."

Before Holly had a chance to respond, her computer dinged, the results were in and Gail needed to leave. She printed everything off and walked her out of the lab. Holly was mouthing the words, trying to speak.  
"I get off in a hour, do you want to, I don't know, go for a drink or something?" Gail spat out the words, so quickly they almost merged. Holly's slightly lopsided grin spread across her face. "Is that a yes?"  
"Yes, it's a yes… Why don't I pick you up? I had something planned for tonight you might like."  
"Yeah sure, I'll text you my address."

* * *

**Next chapter will be super long I think, but won't be up 'til Monday earliest! Camping out at a rugby tournament this weekend so hopefully the weather is still good! **

**Any suggestions of what you want to see let me know in the reviews! I didn't really want any drama between Gail and Holly but it wouldn't be Gail without a little bit. **


	12. Chapter 12- Revelations

**First off SORRY! I know said I would try to get this by Monday! But yeah…  
So I'm back! Slighter redder and more bruised than before but in one piece. Turns out factor 30 every hour still isn't enough if you have a completion somewhat akin to Gail.**

**Anyway… as promised a longer chapter! Really liking the reviews :)  
And as many of you asked… guess you could say this may be seen as a date you'll just have to read to find out…**

Chapter 12- Revelations

* * *

**Buzz**

For two hours she had kept her cool and now the nerves were hitting. She had kept busy, for two hours she had tried not to think. She had text Holly the address the second she left the lab,

_'__Nerd, thanks for the results, sent you a pin.'_

Even though the doctor had been round before Gail had ordered her a taxi in the morning so she probably knew it but if she was being honest she wanted an excuse to text her.

_'__Just doing my job officer friendly, see at 7 dress casual… comfy… and warm.'  
_The reply was almost immediate.

_'__Officer friendly really?! And what the hell are we doing?'  
_The nickname coming from anyone else would be have infuriated her but from Holly, she was smiling down at her phone as she left the squad._  
_  
'_Something fun.'  
_After that the last hour of her shift went by fairly quickly and by the time she had gotten home and finally settled on something to wear it was time. And now as she walked to her front door, she was panicking.

She hit the com. button, "Hey, I'll just grab my keys and come down?"  
"Yeah sure I'm parked just out front" Her voice was crackly over the intercom but it still sounded cheery. Opting for the stairs she bounded down them, a mix of nerves and excitement fuelling her.

She spotted the doctor's truck without a problem, she was sat in the car, windows down tapping the steering wheel along to some folky song,_ "and I will wait… I will wait for you…" _

"You alright in there nerd?" She couldn't help the smirk on her face as the doctor jumped slightly in her seat muttering profanities.

"Screw you." She snapped back pretty quickly.  
"Bit early in the night for that," Gail retorted without thinking, she turned her face away quickly as the blush crept in and jumped in the car. Holly was just laughing.  
"You'd be so lucky." Suddenly Gail's blush was gone, and a face of faux-shock took over.  
"I'd be lucky?" She pointed at herself, "Have you seen me?" hands waving down herself. Holly rose to the challenge, propping her glasses up, slowly dragging her eyes over Gail's body, eyebrow raised and a lopsided grin, which was starting to become familiar across her face.  
"Hmm… seen better"  
The faux shock was being replaced by real, not many could take Gail's snark and throw it back.

Recovering she shoved Holly's shoulder playfully, "Whatever nerd. Where are we going?"  
"You'll see," She hit the radio up and went back to singing as pulled away from Gail's building.  
"Nerd."

About 10 minutes later and 3, _not too badly_ _sung, _songs by Holly with a running 'nerd-alert' commentary by Gail they arrived, _The Batting Cages._

"TA-DAH!" Holly practically squealed as she looked over to Gail, who's face had become completely unreadable, the laugh and the smile which were there only seconds before were gone replaced by nothing. "Are you okay? We can go somewhere else" Holly's usual cheeriness was replaced with concern.

* * *

_"__Take the prospect with you, she needs some experience." Mel shouted to Smithy who was making her way over to her bike.  
"JO! GAIL! Come on, we're going!" She in turn shouted across the lot to Jo and Gail who were working in the garage on a vintage bike.  
"Coming!" Jo was bouncing, "Come on Gail! This is it! Your first job," She was stripping off her overalls and throwing her jacket on so speedily it was making Gail dizzy. "Leave them!" She told Gail as she tried to put their tools away. _

_Jogging over to their bikes they jumped on and started the engines, "Where are we going?"  
"Why? Worried blondie?" Gail hated that nickname and Smithy knew it. _

_"__Curious."  
"You'll find out."_

_Gail was on high alert the whole drive, they weren't heading far- they didn't have any supplies. The job obviously didn't require planning but they wanted it done now. It wasn't too important or Gail wouldn't be there. She ran through the list of jobs, legitimate and not, that Jerry provided about the club through her head._

_'__It might not be too big but I need to prove myself'_

_She didn't have long to think or worry as within minutes they were pulling up outside a small grocery store. Smithy was first off her bike, grabbing two baseball bats off her bike throwing them to Jo and Gail who caught her's with relative ease comparing she had never had much luck with one. She stared down at the bat, what was she going to be expected to do with it. She couldn't let her face show her worry, her inner turmoil, her confliction. Looking up she spotted Smithy staring at her, looking for those cracks. Although Smithy trusted her more than Mason there was still some doubt there and as Mel's right hand she was reporting on Gail to her. Gail needed to impress. _

_Turning the bat a few times in her hand and settling on a strong grip, she looked across to Jo who was smiling slightly manically back at her. "What are we waiting for."  
Smithy huffed out a laugh, kicking the grocery store door open. "Addaaaaaam…." She was teasing him, baiting him slightly. Jo had already run in the store bat raised swinging at everything. "Where is our money?"_

_The few customers who were in there ran out quickly, with no interference from us. They had done nothing to us. Gail gripped her bat, pushing down her doubts, she knew what she needed to do,_

_**swin**g this was for a greater good **swing** a delayed reward **swing** she was undercover **swing** this was still the right thing to do._

**_Swing_**_.  
_

* * *

Her initial concern was gone. Gail had recovered from whatever had bothered her quickly and actually seemed to be enjoying herself. She stood in the cage, trying to mimic the body position Holly had just shown her but not quite getting it, but her swing was strong.

"Okay, okay Stop!" Holly was laughing in-between each word struggling to catch her breath she continued. "I'll show you one more time."

She stood beside the blonde, adopting the prefect body position she had drilled into her after so many years of softball. "See? Watch how my feet spread out my weight and the slight bend of my knees," She turned to face the blonde to check she was watching, and she was, just not the right bit. Her eyes were fixed on Holly running unabashedly up her legs to her body. She didn't mind being checked out, Holly worked hard to maintain her body; running regularly and hitting the gym and pool when she had a chance, she was proud of he body and the way Gail's eyes were so blatantly checking her out filled her with a sense of pride.

"Hmm…. So you see it yeah?" She couldn't help but tease the blonde. Her eyes shot up to connect with Holly's who's were filled with mischief.  
"I… yeah…erm…" _Got you!_

Ever since she met the blonde it was a running tally in her head. Keeping score of the banter between them. Gail had got the first point in the bar, the morgue was too complicated to attempt to score, Holly may have given herself a bonus point for looking after drunk Gail from the Penny, that morning Gail got another from the kiss, _that kiss… _point to Gail for asking to do something, point Holly for the Officer friendly comment, but that meant Gail could get one for Nerd, point Holly for 'I've seen better', point Gail for the nerd- alert commentary, and now point Holly for catching Gail in the act. _ Five- Four, _and Holly wanted to level the score.

"Why don't I just show you properly?" Holly was playing with fire. Gail's face knitted in confusion as Holly walked round behind her then her body visibly tensed as she got it. Her face turned to Holly 'oh' written all across it as Holly's long arms came around her.

This was risky and could back fire and Holly's mind was screaming for her to stop but she didn't want to. One hand found its way to Gail's hip as her head rested slightly on the smaller woman's shoulder, they together fitted well. "So you want to stand a little more side on," She was practically whispering directly into her ear. She saw the way her eyes were fluttering shut slightly. "Yep that's it, then bring your arm up like this," Her other hand was running down the arm of Gail's jacket before gently cupping over her hand. She could hear the gulp and the long exhale of breath escaping the blonde's mouth.

But just when she thought she had it, when she thought she had finally levelled it.  
"So just like this?" Gail voice was heavier than before. She bought her arm back slightly before swinging through, taking Holly with her bringing her closer than before, there was no space between them. And at the end of there swing Gail pushed back slightly into the doctor, the smallest of whimpers escaping. They both knew this was a pretence, Gail knew exactly what Holly had been trying to do and Holly knew exactly what Gail was doing now.

Her own voice was shakier than before "Yeah I think you got it," but she didn't move. She was planted behind the blonde, refusing to give up so quickly. She ran her hand back across the blonde's arm down the side of her jacket and down to just above her hip, her other hand making the small journey up to the other side. Turning her head, her lips were practically touching the blonde's ears, "Just remember to really turn through it." Her voice was husky and inviting she couldn't have made those words more seductive if she tired. Giving a light squeeze of her hands for good measure she finally peeled herself away from the blonde. _Five all._

A few second later once Holly was back at the controls Gail found her voice, "I don't do sports okay?" The blonde turned her head ever so slightly to face her.  
"Uh huh, this isn't sport this is just therapy."  
"Oh… well… therapy! I just love that." Rolling her head back dramatically, and her tone was dripping in sarcasm.  
A slight laugh escaped Holly's lips, "Okay come on. Focus." She hit the button.

The ball came flying out and she swung, the swing was strong but the ball missed her bat and the blonde made a noise ever so close to a squeal when the ball flew by her head.  
"Don't!" Before Holly even had a chance to laugh the blonde had snapped. She was preparing herself for the next shot. "Don't say anything."  
"I said nothing, but if I did I might say watch the ball not the bat the rest would follow."  
"Uh-huh but of course you didn't say that."  
"Of course not."

This time the ball came and the blonde swung through it, connecting perfectly. The sound of ball on bat rang around the cage.

"Prefect." Holly whispered, it came out without her meaning it to; she hoped the blonde hadn't heard her.  
"I had a good teacher."  
"Okay, ready for the next one?"  
"As I'll ever be."

* * *

They had been speaking for over an hour, sitting on the picnic tables around the batting cages, sipping on hot chocolates and eating hot dogs enjoying the crisp cold in the evening air. Gail can't remember the last time she had spoken so easily with someone for so long. Conversation wasn't forced, it flowed easily, a range of topics and a good-natured banter kept them both on their toes.

"So yeah sports are not my forte."  
"Really I couldn't tell by the way you threw the bat at the ball…"  
"Hey! ONE TIME!"  
"That is true," Holly nodded still smirking.  
"I did track in high school, athletic but not a team, teams meant friends, which meant parties which meant I wouldn't be studying and graduating top of my class, which is not allowed. _'Only the best from a Peck.'_ So I have never actually swung a bat at a ball... not all of us were on the softball team."

"Who said I was on the softball team?" Holly laughed out the question.  
"I'm betting you were captain."  
"Vice actually."3  
This time it was Gail's turn to laugh, she didn't know why or how Holly did it to her but she just felt so relaxed and open in her presence. As much as it scared her she welcomed it, she missed feeling so free. "Of course you were."

They just chatted in their own world, both oblivious to time passing around them until someone came up behind Holly, "Hey guys sorry to interrupt but we'll be locking up in 5."  
"Oh wow," Holly looked down to her watch, "thanks for letting us know!" Gail looked around, she hadn't noticed when all the people had left, and the therapeutic hits of the balls had stopped. She had just been so focused on the doctor sat opposite her, so engrossed in her that everything else was background. "I guess we better get going." It wasn't so much a question, if it was Gail would have said no.  
"Yeah I guess."

They hopped back into her truck and were sat in a comfortable silence when there was a spitting noise. "I hope that's your car and not you."  
"Ha ha… well I hope its not my car, but it's not me." The spitting noise turned into sputtering and then a loud thudding.  
"Holly you need to pull up." She did as instructed and as she did the smoke started emerging from the bonnet. "Can you pop the hood?" She asked jumping out of the passenger seat.

Within 5 minutes Gail emerged from under the hood, even with the cold she had worked up a light sheen of sweat across her face and arms, a few oil smudges across her face and arms. She was wiping her hands on her jeans ridding them of specks of oil and grabbing her discarded leather jacket. _Wow, she's stunning. _Holly pushed herself off the side of the car and towards the blonde.

"That should do it for now, but you need to take it into a garage or the engines just going to die on you."  
"How did you know how to fix that?"  
"Well… I was a mechanic for 3 months, did some training before I went undercover, learnt quite a lot I guess."  
"That's really cool." Holly seemed genuinely impressed. Holly knew a little bit about engines, how to check the oil, where the water went, she even knew how to change the wheel, but Gail was a pro. "You looked pretty badass under there." Holly was grinning at Gail, her unique lopsided grin that always made Gail feel a better.

Gail slid on her jacket and popped the bonnet back down, "Really? Badass?" She asked taking steps closer to the Holly. She could feel the air around them changing, becoming electrified.

"Yeah, badass," Holly took a step forward herself meeting the blonde at the front of the car, her hand reached forward skimming the blonde's hair. Gail's eyes were fixed on the brunette and they were flicking down to her lips. "Even if you do have oil all over you face." Holy broke the tension slightly by rubbing the black marks further across Gail's pale skin and a giant grin spreading across her face.

"Fuck you," Gail gave her a playful shove but Holly was fast, she grabbed the front of her jacket and pulled her with her as she dramatically feel backwards into the car with the blonde landing flush against her. Gail planted her hands either side of Holly's body effectively pinning her there.

Their laughter was strong and once it started to subside so was their breathing, Gail's head was hung down as her shoulders still bopped slightly, before looking up. Holly's eyes were darker than normal, _and her lips,_ Gail was struggling to describe them…_inviting _that was the only word she could think of. Gail's tongue snuck out to wet her own lips, then her eyes locked onto the doctors. Their breaths were still heavy, they were all Gail could hear, that and her heart thumping, the passing traffic and the hum of the city were all gone, it was just them, in that moment it was just her and Gail.

Then their lips met, both pushing into one another. Catching the doctors bottom lip Gail pulled back a bit making the doctor come with her. It was not like the last time, they were needed, searching somehow that Holly was actually there too and Holly reacted. Gail's hands found their way to Holly's hip and the other coming to rest at the base of her neck, Gail's thumb brushed Holly's collarbone sending shivers down the doctor's body. Holly who had still been clutching Gail's jacket snaked her hands around the blonde pulling her closer.

A small moan escaped the doctor's lips as Gail pushed into her, and the blonde used this moment to trace along her bottom lip with her tongue before searching out the doctor's tongue, who welcomed the exploration. They were dancing together, getting lost in each other, and there was no fight to dominate it there was just a need to feel.

It was all consuming, every part of Gail felt on fire. She pulled Holly closer still, her legs finding its way between the doctor's, she stepped further in. Each other's mouths swallowed moans and they were gasping for air when they finally broke apart.

_She is so beautiful, _her lips were parted and swollen from the kiss, heavily breaths escaping them, her eyes now even more dark were searching her for answers. Their bodies were still pushed up against each other neither of them wanting to break away.

**_Beeeeeeeeep  
_**A car on the highway swerved beeping its horn loudly, bringing the pair out of their trance. Gail quickly stepped back from the doctor. She needed to put space between them, not trusting herself to stay so close.

"I…" her mind was racing, she didn't know where to start. She wanted to explain that it wasn't anything she had done, or not done, it was just her being her. It had been so long since Gail had this kind of human connection, physical or emotional. And she knew herself, she knew how she so often pushed people away, or chose someone she didn't or couldn't really connect with like Chris so she couldn't get hurt. But with Holly she didn't want that, maybe it was being undercover for so long by herself that she finally realised she wanted to be happy.

"Don't." Holly placed a finger over the blonde's mouth. "You don't need to say anything." She pushed herself off the car and walked back round to the driver's seat. "Lets get you home."

* * *

**Again sorry for the delay with the update hopefully the longer chapter makes up for it.**

**There will be some more flashbacks to come especially as the Holly/Gail relationship develops, so let me know what you think of that or if you'd rather a more linear or fast-forwarded story. Just want to bring some of Gail's undercover-ness into it.**

**So yeah hope you enjoyed, next update will be soon as I have a lot of train journeys to come and it's a great place to write loads! **


	13. Chapter 13- Reflections

**100 follows! Wooooo! When I started this it was kinda just a way of filling my time during summer before my jobs starts but looking at where this story is going and how you guys seem to like it I really want to keep it going and hitting 100 follows is like a milestone!**

**Thank you so much for all the reviews! They really do keep me motivated to write faster! **

**So post- 'date' … Longer chapter again lucky you, thank the train journeys.**

Chapter 13- Reflections

* * *

Gail was still on desk duty, but today she was stuck in evidence. The front desk provided minimal entertainment, you were usually stuck with another rookie, whoever needed a break or in some cases a timeout after a cock up. Booking you were usually one your own but the constant flow of people coming in for processing meant you were never too bored, and not being there as a representation to the public did mean when it was quiet you could get away with slacking off. But evidence, evidence was just the worst. Stuck there for hours on end, on your own, with no distractions but your own thoughts and right now Gail needed a distraction from her thoughts.

Last night had been on repeat in her mind all day and the memory was making her blush and frown at the same time. _I kissed her…. She kissed me… was it a date…. Did you ask her on a date… I asked to do something- she said yes- I…she… we kissed... so kind of the definition of a date. _Her mind was on a loop, replaying the night, the banter, _or was it flirting, _the kiss- which it replayed in great detail, then questions until the questions made her too confused and she went back to replaying the night. The whole thing was turning Gail into one of those mindless teenage crushing girls she hated so much in high school.

Giving up, Gail jumped up and started pacing, trying desperately to get a new train of thought. Her shift must nearly be over, she went over to the clock on the far wall, someone had draped a rag over it, _9.05, _she had only been there just over an hour and had just under 9 more to go.  
"What the hell?!" She couldn't believe it, she popped her head out of the evidence room looking around the corridor, it was still busy lots of people walking around with coffees, _people drink coffee all the time not just the morning, _she spotted Nash walking round the bend. "NASH!"

She turned quickly on the back of her heel, "Peck?"  
"What time is it?"  
"9.07"  
"What!?" She started muttering profanities under her breathe.  
Traci was chuckling, "Evidence playing tricks on your mind already?"  
"Where are you today?"  
"Booking. And no, before you ask I am not swapping. What are you doing? Are you trying... are those …your puppy dog eyes?" She was practically in hysterics.

"Shut up. Please swap with me, I can't stand it in there."  
"Please? Wow I didn't know you knew that word." Gail just continued to frown. "Why? Can't stand your own thoughts for company? Now you know how we feel when we hang out with you."  
Gail huffed. "Fine." She ducked back into the evidence room.

Of all the people in the division Nash was the most likely to swap with her, they weren't friends but probably the closest Gail had so far. So she was stuck in evidence with nothing but her thoughts for company.

* * *

Holly sat back in the waiting room chairs, playing with her phone in her hands. She unlocked the screen again this time getting as far as clicking on messages. She had been debating texting Gail since she woke up this morning. Twice she had written out messages, a dozen times she had planned witty messages in her head, and now for what seemed like the millionth time she locked her phone again having not sent anything. She should wait for the blonde to message her first she kept telling herself. It wasn't some stupid power play, she was just worried about coming off too strong.

Last time they had kissed and spent the morning together she thought they had connected. And then it took nearly 2 weeks and her being sent to the morgue before Gail finally spoke to her again who knows how long or if she even would have spoke to her again if she hadn't been forced to come to the morgue. Holly got the impression that Gail liked to run from her feelings. So she put her phone away again, _she will contact me when she's ready. _

"Dr Stewart?" The receptionist called out.  
"Yes," She stood up quickly grabbing her bag.  
"She's ready for you, you can go straight in."

_Dr_ _Katharine Wyatt, M.D_

"Dr Stewart," The older woman welcomed her into her office. She soothing voice already calming Holly's doubts about coming again.  
"Please Dr Wyatt it's Holly, you're the professional here, not me."  
"As you wish, Holly. How have you been?" She sat on her armchair, in front of her desk next to a large sofa gesturing for Holly to take a seat.  
"Errr, yeah better I guess. I saw her again." She blurted it out before she meant to, cursing herself mentally.

The first time she came had been after dropping flowers at Gail's hospital door, she didn't know what had drawn her to her or why on earth she thought flowers were a good idea for a suspected criminal who had come into her morgue with a gun planning of robbing a body. She had been so confused that she finally gave up. She knew the benefits of seeing a shrink after a traumatic experience, during her own training she had done a psych rotation. Yes- she had friends she could talk to but they knew her too well, they knew what they wanted her to be and they had expectations and judgements on that. Holly needed to talk to someone who didn't know her before.

So she had ended up in Dr Wyatt office planning on talking through this traumatic experience, explaining her nightmares why she couldn't sleep, how she had been replaying it over in her head._ The fact that I had taken another person's life._ But instead she spent nearly half her time talking about this mysterious blonde. Dr Wyatt had listened carefully advising Holly has best she could. With her mind she needed answers which why she had done all this research, she was a curious individual and the question of who this blonde was and why she had saved her was playing on her mind.

It was actually Dr Wyatt who told her it might be a good idea to go talk to Jerry, find out some more answers. But that turned into meeting Gail and kissing Gail and waking up with Gail. And a week later when Holly had gone back explaining what had happened and how she was now worried she had scared this amazing woman off, she advised her to take a step back. She was worried that Holly was attaching herself to Gail due to the trauma they had gone through and that these feelings may be misplaced. And she listened, as well as she could, she couldn't help how her mind had still wondered to the blonde so frequently or how her nightmares replaying the morning in the morgue were becoming more focused on the blonde.

And now she was here again, and within 30 seconds had blurted out how she saw her again.

"And do you think those two things are related?"  
"What?"  
"The feeling better and seeing her."  
"That question is too vague, too big. I feel better today because I'm wearing my favourite shirt but that doesn't mean anything."

"Holly you are trying to read into my questions, I just want you to talk, the questions are only here to help direct that talking. There are no trick questions here or wrong answers. Just us, talking."

"I'm sorry," She was right, Holly was on the defensive, worried that he would tell her that she was getting too close to Gail because of what happened. "I just, I don't know. She hadn't spoken to me since that morning, and then she comes to the lab and things are awkward at first. But then before she leaves she asks if I'm doing anything later, and we end up at the batting cages. And it was great. We had fun, we talked for hours- we actually got kicked out when the closed. And then on the way home, we had this moment and we kissed again and I don't know. I'm worried and I'm scared."

"Why do you think you're worried?" It was never why are you worried, always why do you _think_ you are.

"She's so consuming. When we talk it's like she is all I can focus on and when she's not there, I can't help but let my mind wonder. And… I guess… I don't know, maybe I'm worried that this is just the trauma, that part of my feels like I owe her, or we are somehow connected because of that. But…" He looked up at her, encouraging her to continue. "But… I think I'm scared because I know its not that. I know that I feel like this not because of the incident but because she is just…I don't know. I don't know how to word it. "

"Dr Stewart, Holly, you are a smart woman. When you first came her you were worried about how this trauma was going to affect you, how taking someone's life even when it was completely necessary would affect you. You wanted to know. And it was the same with this woman." She paused just slightly, "Sometimes we have to learn to not know. There are some things in this world we are not meant to understand. As I said over a week ago you are more than mentally fit for your job and right now this acceptance of not knowing, I would say you may be more so for you life than you have been for a long time"

The words were spoken which such sincerity. She wasn't accusing her of anything, she wasn't advising her to leave Gail alone, she wasn't suggesting running after her. She was just saying what she was so worried about, _not knowing. _She had always been so determined to know. Since she was a child, always asking questions wanting to know how everything worked. It continued into adult, becoming a doctor wanting to understand how people worked, and then even into pathology, answering questions about people even after their deaths. In her personal life she had been the same, relationships were slightly calculated; there could be passion and lust and even love, but they made sense, her feelings her connections, why they were together, and when they didn't make sense any more, she ended them. She liked to know, to have the control and safety of understanding.

"I…. thank you Dr Wyatt"  
"You don't need to thank me Holly, if you want you are more than welcome to book another session with Belinda out front but personally and professionally I don't believe you need to come back.

She stood off the sofa to leave, "Thank you anyway, even if you don't think I need to."

She walked straight out of the office and reception the elevators. Letting out a deep breathe she didn't realise she was holding in, she hit the button to go down.  
**  
Dur-dee-la-do**  
_Officer Friendly- I'm Bored._

She must have changed the name on her phone last night; the simple blunt text bought a smile to her face.

She was out of therapy but she was also more confused than she had ever been in her entire life.

* * *

She huffed again. It was now only 3 hours into her shift. She caved about an hour ago texting the doctor, if she was going to think about her, might as well talk to her.

With a simple blunt text- _I'm Bored._

She still got a response within seconds.  
_Dr Nerd- Shouldn't you be keeping the streets safe?_

Gail laughed again at the name; she hadn't been the only one to re-programme the other's phone.

-_Evidence room. Desk duty sucks. _

_Dr Nerd- What's your favourite donut? _

_-One does not simply have one favourite donut. _

_Dr Nerd- Did you just make a lord of the rings reference._

_- No._

Dr Nerd- Right, of course, that would make you the nerdy one.

_- Exactly _

The last message had been sent about 15 minutes ago, it wasn't like Gail was counting or anything but if she was she might also say she had checked her phone about 10 times since then; making sure her last message had sent, checking she hadn't misread the situation, just rereading the conversation etc.. So she huffed again.

Three hours sat in evidence, not having seen anyone since Nash. Everyone left evidence til the end of the their shifts, she'd get a mad rush about 20 minutes before the end and would be expected to get it all away before someone relieved her. _Screw this, _she jumped out of her seat, grabbing a scrap bit of paper and scrawled over it- _Need coffee back in 5. Wait. _That was as polite as it was going to get.

She stuck the note up on the evidence room door and locked it behind her. The division had a good break room, coffee machine- with alright coffee (better than the visitors lounge), a fridge- although as Gail was finding out unless you locked your food somehow it was bound to going wondering but she did have a suspicion that Steve was taking her food, a few cupboards- filled with the most random things, who needs baking soda in a police station.

_Great! _Of course as usual the coffee machine was empty. Change the filter, more beans, add water, switch on and wait about 5 minutes... wasn't like she was in a rush. She looked around the station it was a lot quieter than this morning most people were out on patrol. She looked over to Jerry's office, the door was open and he wasn't in, he had been in his office pretty much just as long as she had been on desk duty, operation MC had created a lot of paperwork. She wondered were he was, she wanted to talk to someone and he would have been an easy choice.

The coffee machine was sputtering to life behind her, tearing her attention away for a second and when she looked back all her stress and worry about the doctor went away. There just making her way through the mess of desks was Holly, two cups of take out coffee in hand and what looked like a very large box of donuts! She couldn't help the smile spreading across her face, that's why she hadn't replied she was coming her.

The smile was short lived, just behind where she spotted the doctor was Jerry with someone she would never forget, _Mason. _Why was Mason here? Why was she not in cuffs? She wasn't being transferred she was being let go. _What the fuck…_

Mason had spotted her. Her usually stoic face was expressing rare motion- anger. She could feel the hate radiating off Mason.  
"Hey, so you said you were bored, and I thought you would probably want coffee and well donuts! So yeah and its my day off, I mean I'm on call but I'm always on call…you know dead bodies don't wait… well I mean they do… but like… are you alright? Gail? Gail?"  
Gail attention was snapped back into reality just as Mason left through the glass doors out of the station, Jerry turning back to find Gail staring at him.

Holly was now trying to find were Gail's eyes were being drawn. "Gail, is everything okay?"  
"Err, I yeah, I'm sorry I need to speak to Jer… Detective Barber really quickly, the evidence room is just down there, here's the key I'll be right there." Her eyes were pleading for understanding; the doctor had been nice coming here trying to entertain her she didn't want to seem ungrateful.

"Yeah, yeah of course, take your time." The doctor was smiling, and Gail couldn't help but return it.

* * *

Holly popped the coffees down on the desk, still laughing at Gail's note, it was just like her, straight to the point.

Maybe she had been a bit presumptuous coming straight here without warning or asking if it was okay, but Gail had seemed happy to see her initially. Her face had dropped quickly after but she was pretty sure it wasn't due to her. But she decided to keep her new mantra up and not overly question it.

She didn't have much time to question it anyway as a tall officer quickly came in without much warning.  
"Who are you?"  
"Erm…." Holly shuttered out, she had definitely choose the wrong moment to have a sip of her coffee."  
"Sorry. That was quite abrupt."  
"No, no its fine," quickly recovering her professionalism was kicking in. "I'm Dr Stewart, I work down in forensics." She extended her hand to young officer.  
"Nice to meet you," He accepted her hand, "Chris Diaz. Do you know were Ga… Officer Peck is?"

"Yeah she just went to find Detective Barber but she'll be back in a minute. Do you want to wait here? Have a donut." She pushed the box up to him.

"Oh cool thanks." He grabbed one at random and took a giant bite out of it, powdered sugar falling all around his mouth and down his uniform.

She chuckled at the sight, for a man of his size and stature he seemed so gentle. He smiled back at her knowing what a mess he had made of himself.

"Sorry!" Gail came barging back into the room, stopping quite suddenly at the sight of Officer Diaz half eaten donut in hand powdered sugar everywhere. "What…"

"Hey Gail, I was wondering if we could talk?"  
"Chris not now."  
"Please Gail I know you think I need space or whatever, but I don't."  
"Chris _seriously _not now" _Who was this guy to her…_

"Gail please," Holly was starting to overthink the situation her eyes running back and forth between the pair. Every word, the tone it was spoken, and their body language she was examining it all. He had advanced slightly reaching out with his arm to her. "I miss you."  
"Chris…" She was pleading his name as she chanced a glance at Holly, who didn't miss the worry in her eyes. "No." She was getting angry.

"Maybe I should leave," Holly spoke up, she knew the sadness and worry was written all over her face but she didn't care, she just wanted to leave. She couldn't believe how embarrassed she felt. The first time they met had been in a gay bar, and not to put any stereotypes on the blonde but previous experience showed that straight people in a gay bar try to dress 'super-straight' to avoid the 'accidental' hit-ons and Gail was dressed as a biker. _She was undercover! _The whole gay bar could have been part of that, but the kiss…. Kisses! The first one Gail had practically been high or at least drunk for, sure she did it but it could have been a 'friendly kiss'. Holly had straight female friends, she knew how women interacted they weren't overly touchy with her but that wasn't due to her sexuality she just wasn't all that touchy-feely. But the second… The second, it was a date _wasn't it? _They had been flirting and getting to know each other all evening and the kiss it seemed so natural and there was no way that was just friendly. But then she freaked out, Holly had assumed it was because of heated it had gotten so fast but maybe… _maybe it was because she's so freaking straight and she kissed a girl again and is now freaking out! _

"No. Please."  
Holly couldn't look her in the eye as she left. She couldn't let Gail see the hurt behind her eyes.

* * *

**Train journeys for the win! Got this done with minimal distractions, which I hope allowed me to get more into their respective heads at little bit.**

**I'm thinking- develop their connection/relationship as the aftermath of Gail's undercover work plays out.  
obviously it wouldn't be officer lunchbox without a little drama.  
Reviews are as always are really appreciated and any questions/suggestions! **

**(Couldn't help myself with the baking soda thing, seriously I mean like why was it there, who is baking a cake!?)  
((also kudos to anyone who spots the reference to another show in here))**


	14. Chapter 14- Wanting

**Not sure if cock-block is the right word for this but come on Chris bad timing…  
Beckalinda1997 – I did not know that about baking soda so thank you for that!  
Lumos175- you're back! Thanks for all the reviews!  
Thank you all for the reviews!  
I did write chapter 12 & 13 pretty much at the same time so sorry I didn't get a chance to input some of the reviews into the chapter but hopefully this will do…  
**  
Chapter 14- Wanting

* * *

Gail stared down at the box on the table, a half dozen donuts sat there. The coffees next to them one with cream one without and sugars lying beside them, she had really thought this through, she was like that.

"Gail I think we work, and I know you went away but you had too, I get that and I missed you sure and it hurt how things got left but I want you." She sighed, she had tried to end things with Chris quickly and painlessly but he wasn't getting it. "I want you back. So here I am."  
"I see that."  
"Well, what do you say?"

"What are you asking?" She needed to hear him say it, so she could answer it without any lingering doubt for him.  
"Well… I want you back,"  
"So are you asking me to be your fuck-buddy?"  
"What?! No."

"'cause that is what we were Chris, that's all it ever was, we weren't in a relationship."  
"Yeah I thought that's what you wanted, you know, no strings no emotional messiness."  
"And I thought I wanted that too." She had to admit; those were pretty much her exact words. She had wanted ease, that's half the reason she choose Chris.  
"Want-_ed, _as in past tense? As in you want more, cause I can do that Gail." He was like an eager puppy.

"Chris, no, well yes, but no. I… I think I know I deserve more now, and I'm willing to be happy for the first time in a long time." Chris' face dropped slightly, but he recovered fast with a small solemn smile.  
"I get it, you want more but not with me. You do deserve more Gail, I'm glad you see that even if its not with me." He let out a long breath, "I hope whoever they are they make you happy."  
"They do. I am sorry Chris."  
"You don't need to be."

She put her hand out to rub his arm, but he stepped into it giving her a big hug. Even with the 'deserving-wanting-to-be-happy' Gail this was still not how she communicated.  
"Errr… Chris…"  
"Oh right, yeah… so still no hugs." He chuckled slightly as he let go.  
"Yeah."

"DIAZ? Diaz where the hell are you?" It was Swarek, he was calling from the middle of the station obviously fairly frustrated at the disappearance act Chris had pulled.  
"Shit I said was going to get coffee. I better go." He ran out, glancing back slightly at her before disappearing completely.

Gail looked back down at the desk, at the now probably cold coffees. _Shit. _She checked the clock again, _11.40- double shit. _She still had another 6 hours left, another 6 hours before she could go apologise to Holly, and another 6 hours sat in the evidence room going over everything that just happened and how she was going to make said apology, _shit shit shit. _

By 1 luckily someone eventually came to log some evidence unfortunately it was Officer Epstein. He entered with his head down, throwing the evidence bag on the table, Gail tried her hardest to be civil. She refused to let whatever it was they had effect the way she behaved at worked, no matter how much of a prick he was. She passed over the paperwork for him to fill out and she logged the evidence in. The only words that passed was when Dov had finished the paperwork and asked "Is that it?" to which she just nodded before he hastily left.

By 2 she had dug her phone out again attempting to write a text to the doctor.  
_'Thanks for the donuts' _No- too avoiding.  
_'Sorry about earlier.' _No- too admitting

She had sat there staring at her phone blankly for the most part.

By 3 she had finished all the donuts trying not to write and then delete anymore texts.

By 4 she finally cracked and sent a text.

_'__Hi' _

By 5 she cracked again, with no reply from the doctor she sent another message.  
_'Can we talk?'_

Then another

'_tonight?'_

By 6 even with the distraction of everyone coming in with their evidence before the shift change, she did something she really shouldn't have. She looked Holly up; address, contact information and a few speeding tickets came up, turned out Holly liked to go fast.

At 5.55 she was working at super-speed, she couldn't leave until all the evidence that came in on her shift was logged. _5.58- _everything was away, she glanced at the door, 2 more minutes, if anything came in now she would be stuck her. She glanced across at the clock again, _5.58.40- just go!_

* * *

**knock knock**  
_Goddammit- _Holly looked around herself, she had literally, actually literally just sat down. The blanket was in her hand half way to it being around her, glass of wine had just been placed down next to her bowl of popcorn and the remote was on the arm of the sofa ready for her to hit play.

Holly waited, not moving, she counted to 5, if they really needed her they would have called or knocked again. _1… 2… 3… 4… 5. Prefect. _She pulled the blanket completely over her and sunk into the sofa a little further.

**knock knock**

"God fucking dammit." Holly was not one to usually curse but she was in a foul mood. She jumped off the sofa, discarding the blanket and grabbing her wine storming towards her front door. Whoever was knocking was about to get the back end of all of Holly's frustration and anger, which she had hoped the long run and soak in the bath had rid her of, _obviously not._

"What the fuck," She started whilst opening the deadbolt, "do you want?" She finally looked up as the door swung open.

"Errr… hi." It was Gail. Stood there, helmet dangling off one arm, take-out food in a bag held tightly against herself and a six pack of beer in the other arm.  
"Hi." Holly was stunned.  
"I bought food."

"Why?"

"You bought donuts." She simply stated as if that was an explanation.

Holly inspected her, she was out of uniform and her slightly wet hair would implied she had showered but it was only 6.30, and the previous night she mentioned how she didn't finish til 6 the next day. She must have rushed straight out of her shift, ordering food on the go, showered changed and sped straight her picking up the food on the way. She had come straight here, she must have planned it.

"What food?" Holly kept her voice stern, the blonde was trying but she wasn't going to let her off the hook so easily.  
"Chinese, I got a mix."  
"hmm… okay." She stepped away from the door making her way into her apartment, Gail following closely behind.

After a few minutes of silence, getting food on plates and Gail followed Holly over to the sofa. Usually their silences were comfortable, a break in conversation where the both just enjoyed each other's company, but this silence was heavy filled with all the things they wanted to say.

Holly couldn't help but speak even if she was hoping Gail would break first.  
"I'm sorry I didn't reply to your texts I just needed some time to think. You blindsided me a bit today."  
"Holly…"  
"Gail no."  
"No Holly you need to listen to me."

She was shocked at Gail assertiveness. Gail was a woman of few words and Holly without being cocky liked to think Gail spoke more with her than with most. But the way she held Holly's gaze and the seriousness of her tone, she knew whatever Gail had to say it was going to be important.

"I know what today with Chris must have looked like. It's not like that, not… not anymore. I… I don't do this…" She was gesturing between them, "I don't do talking about feelings, or dates or relationships or just being happy. What happened with Chris was just in the academy and was just sex." Holly knew she was frowning at that, she didn't care if it was childish. She didn't want that image. "And it didn't mean anything." Gail seemed almost pained speaking, _she's really trying, _"It's not like this… I…"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as Holly's lips were on her again and Gail hummed into the kiss her hands finding their way quickly to the doctor's side trying to pull her forward, but just as quick as Holly's lips were on the blonde, she had pulled away.

"Just checking."  
"Checking?"  
"Yes, I've dated…no… I've been with straight people before Gail and I don't want to be someone's experiment again. But if you want to be my friend I can be that, so I was checking."  
"Checking that I want you?" There was an amused expression playing on Gail's lips.

"Yes." Holly was blushing she could feel the heat rising, Gail was calling her out on her worry, she shouldn't have run off and she knows it, she should have replied let Gail explain.  
"You get me to come all the way over her, after 6 hours sat in that evidence room on my own thinking of everything I just mucked up, with food and beer to apologise and you even got me to do sports… and you are worried that I don't want you."

Holly was biting at her bottom lip nodding nervously. _You idiot. _She looked up at Gail again, seeing beautiful blue eyes staring into her.

* * *

Holly was up grabbing both of their now empty plates and taking them back into the kitchen area. From the sofa Gail was able to turn and watch the brunette. She was just so… _unknowingly gracefully beautiful. _Gail shook her head attempting to compose herself. She took another swig of her beer finishing it off.

"Hey do you want another beer?" Holly called pulling her wine out of the fridge and pouring herself another glass. Holly had matched her glass for beer, Gail knew she knew that was Gail's second beer which meant she knew that if Gail had another one she couldn't drive. _Does she want me to stay… should I stay…. Stop overthinking.  
_  
"Yeah sure, if you're sure." Gail turned back around on the sofa leaning over the back edge. Holly smiled back before walking over with her glass and another beer for Gail.

"Here you go," Gail noticed the way her hand lingered when Gail's fingers brushed the doctors.  
"Thanks," she beamed at up her. Sliding slightly across the sofa she made it clear where she wanted the doctor to sit.

A coy lopsided grin which was quickly becoming one of her favourite sights spread across Holly's face before she obliged and sat down next to Gail even snuggling slightly closer into her side. Gail wasn't used to this sort of intimacy but she liked it and she was trying. Not knowing what to do she reverted to what she thought might be expected.

It was one of the corniest things Gail has ever done, shifting her beer into her other hand and wriggling her arm out she did it. Forcing a yawn and slight stretch she slowly extended her arm around the doctor bring it to rest on her shoulder.

She could feel the doctor vibrating next to her, "Are you laughing at me?!"  
"I'm sorry," The amusement in her voice was obviously, "I just…" Now she wasn't even trying to hide it, she was in full hysterics "Did you actually just do that?"

"Well if that's how you feel…" She started to take her arm back before Holly grabbed it by her wrist pulling it back down.  
"Hey. Just cause it was cheesy doesn't mean I don't like it."  
_  
_There it was again, that feeling the doctor kept making her feel. It was more than happiness and she didn't quite know how to describe it. She leant her head back down on top of the doctors.

"Do you want to watch a film or something?"  
"Yeah sure what do you have?" Holly picked up the remote and starting flicking through her TiVo. "Hang on…" Holly stiffened beside her, _busted. _"Was that Sons of Anarchy?"

"Errr, yeah it might be… well I was curious and was doing lots of research on motorcycle clubs and stuff…" Holly was on a roll and Gail was trying to not let her smile show. "And lots of the website kept mentioning the show and so I thought maybe I should watch it and then its quite addictive and I was still on leave so I watched some…"

"How much?" Gail interrupted her.  
"What?" Holly turned slightly still in Gail's embrace.  
"How much did you watch?"  
"Aroundseasonthree" Holly mumbled out.  
"Season three?" Gail couldn't hold her smile in anymore. This beautiful woman was so curious about her that she researched her and motorcycle gangs and now started watching SoA. She felt the doctor nodding into her. "Well we can watch that if you want?"

"Really? You've seen it?"  
"Yeah before I started my undercover stuff I did some research too." Holly hit the remote and the episode came up on the screen, Holly settled further into Gail, her head finding its way into her lap and stretching her own legs out across the sofa. About half way through the episode Gail's hand had found its way onto Holly's hair and brushing it repeatedly when she spoke up causing Gail to freeze in her actions.  
"So does this make me your old lady?"

Gail was stumped, she knew the connotation of the word, she might as well have said _girlfriend. _The panic must have been written all over her face because the next thing she knew Holly was sat up on the sofa leaving a small, but what felt like a giant, distance between them.

"Gail, I'm sorry, I was just joking," _No no no, she thinks…. _She acted before she could doubt herself.

Practically lunging at the doctor she captured her lips in a crashing kiss. They both feel backwards in the far arm of the sofa Gail sliding her way up Holly's body refusing to end her new favourite activity so soon. Holly who was initially taken by surprise started reacting into the kiss, her hands snaked around Gail's back pulling her flush against her.

Gail broke the kiss keeping her face close to the doctor's, her lips ghosting the brunette's as she spoke. "Do you want to be?"  
Holly blinked a few time beneath her, struggling to find the words, "I… what?"  
Gail chuckled, "Cat got your tongue?"  
"I thought your name was Gail?" Holly wriggled her eyebrows. _Touché _

Gail leant in again this time Holly meet her half way before pulling her back down as she fell back in the sofa. It was slower than all their previous kisses they were taking their time, the kisses were gentle but wanting. Holly's hand were around Gail head and neck before one starting drifting down her back. _Not fair… _Gail wanted to touch Holly to feel her under her, manoeuvring slightly she leant her weight on one of her bent arm by the doctors shoulders allowing her left arm to wander.

The slight movement though had caused her belt buckle to rub in and Holly hips jolting slightly against her, her mouth dropping open in a deep appreciative moan. That was all the invitation Gail needed. Her tongue sort out the doctor's, who deepened the kiss further pulling Gail's impossibly closer, while Gail's hand had found the doctor's hip gripped as she '_manoeuvred' _herself again atop the doctor.

The kisses became more passionate so quickly; she could hear the moans and breathlessness of the doctor through them. Holly's own hands didn't stay still for long, one ended on Gail's ass trying to pull her in and speed up the agonizingly slow pace she had set, the other was causing havoc for Gail; slowly making a path underneath her from her hip just to the base of her breasts the doctor's surely talented fingers gazing them every so lightly before starting their trail back down.

It was Holly's fourth journey with her hand when it dipped slightly lower and under Gail's top, and Gail couldn't control herself anymore. Her hand, which had now made its way up the doctor's thigh, slammed down beside them on sofa trying to steady herself as her body trembled at the contact. _Its been a while that's all… focus on something else… Family… Grandmother… Steve… Mother…Oh God Elaine… eggs… tomatoes…. Holly's hands… Holly…. _Gail couldn't keep her thoughts in line though, she was getting worked up very quickly, _too quickly,_ as Holly's hand made its way past her rib cage to the base of her breast and it didn't stop.

Her mind went blank for an instance the only thing she knew for sure was the feeling of Holly's hands cupping her over her bra. She broke away from the kiss as a deep guttural moan escaped her. Looking up at the doctor, her parted swollen lips and darken eyes she knew everything she needed too; _she wants you too._

* * *

**What do you think?**

**As always reviews are appreciated!  
I do try my best to proofread this but mistakes are all my own and I really can't spell! **


	15. Chapter 15- Reprimand

**Wow! All the follows and reviews mean a lot so thanks for that! **

**Also who saw last nights episode! HOLLY's back! Knew it… I had and still have a theory. Aliyah O'Brien ho plays Holly tweets a lot and a few weeks ago posted an adorable picture of her and Charlotte Sullivan aka Officer Lunchbox screaming behind bars AND… Aliyah is wearing glasses… and she doesn't wear glasses in real life (thus all the glasses confusion in season 4) and is in an outfit still not worn in the show… so this must mean more officer lunchbox! Yay… anyway I'll stop rambling. **

**Enjoy…**

Chapter 15- Reprimand

* * *

Gail was looking at her, dark blue piercing eyes staring down. Holly's mind was a blur, all she could think of was of Gail. Her mind was racing, the feeling of Gail being pushed against her was incredible. All the emotion of the past few hours was gone, all she cared about was what was happening in this moment.

So as the sounds of Gail's moans hit her all she wanted was to rip her clothes off and take her right there, right on the sofa. But the look behind those eyes, _I__s it fear? Doubt?, _ she wasn't sure what she was seeing there.

"Gail?" Her voice was husky, "Are you… okay?" She was taking deep breathes between the words, trying to tame her obvious arousal.

Gail didn't reply she just sat up, keeping her eyes fixed on the doctor. She was licking her lips and her brows were furrowed. "Gail," She followed Gail up to a sitting position leaning back on the sofa to give the blonde some space. "I'm sorry."

"What? No don't I'm… I'm sorry I just I got a little worked up… I just need… I.. um…"  
"I thought I was meant to be the mumblily-talks-too-much one." Holly interrupted to which Gail smiled in respsonse. "Its okay I get it."  
"I haven't been with…." Gail looked to Holly expectedly, obviously wanting some help finding her words.  
"A pathologist before?" Holly laughed at her own joke Gail however was less than impressed as she whined back.

"Holly…."

_It's not a big deal… right? _After today she had worried that Gail was straight, and if she was would it matter?

Holly knew she was gay from a young age, she can't put a finger on exactly when but by 10 she started to think she was different and by 11 she had a crush of sorts on her best friend. It wasn't sexual just she wanted to spend all her time with her and her alone, no one else. By 13 she had moved school and was falling for her new bestie, and then maybe it was slightly sexual but she didn't want it to be. She didn't know, or she thought she didn't know, anyone else who felt the same way so she hid it, scared of what it meant and how everyone around her would take it. By 15 she started to come to terms with it and by 17 she had come out to her closest friends. She was pretty certain her family knew already but she put that conversation off until university and her first serious girlfriend. She knew her family would accept her, the only reason she hadn't told them is somehow she viewed the whole 'coming out' experience to parents as basically telling them who see liked to sleep with and no one likes that kind of talk with their parents.

All in all Holly had lived her entire adult life knowing her sexuality and being comfortable about it. She had dated or been with people who had identified as straight, even if they hadn't by the end. Holly knew for some people sexuality was much more fluid, and it wasn't her place to put them into categories like straight or bi or gay but for her there was no doubt and there never really had been, she saw herself as a lesbian and she was proud of that.

She knew rationally she needed to let Gail talk. _She wanted me. _She kept reminding herself of the minutes before how Gail was atop her, the way her lips were hungrily kissing her, that wasn't the behaviour of someone who didn't know what they wanted.

"I haven't been with anyone since Chris its been nearly 10 months."  
"Okay." It must have only been a few seconds but Gail let out a sigh of relief when Holly finally responded.  
"I just, I don't want to jump into this because of… like… I just thought you should know."  
Holly nodded at her offering her best smile. "Gail it's okay, I get it."  
"yeah?"  
"Yeah you don't want to jump me just cause you're horny."

Gail face contorted before she playfully shoved Holly. "Shut up."  
"Uh-huh. Seriously though Gail its fine, I am more than happy to take things a bit slower. Honestly I thought you were going to say something like not having been with a woman before..." Holly trailed off as she saw Gail's face.  
"ha… yeah…um about that."

* * *

She woke with a start, jumping up searching her surroundings. She didn't recognise it immediately but then she remembered, _you're at Holly's. _She let out a sigh and plopped back down on the sofa trying to calm breathing and rid her mind of the nightmare, _it was just a dream. _She reached over to the table looking for her phone, tapping it to life _2.04 _lit up the screen. She had only been asleep for a few hours.

Sighing again she lay back down on the sofa, from her pillow she could see most of the doctor's apartment, behind the back of the sofa was the way to the front door and the doctor, and straight in front of her a corridor leading to Holly's bedroom and her guestroom/office.

After a fairly awkward end to a very hot make-out session, Holly insisted she stayed. She was also insisting about setting up the bed in her guestroom but Gail promised the sofa would be fine. So her she was staring down the corridor towards Holly's room wondering how the evening could have turned out so differently.

She would be safe to drive now, she could leave and go home. She turned back to her phone, _2.15. _She had enough problems sleeping in her own bed; here in an unknown environment she felt more on edge. She took another long breathe, before sitting upright again, she grabbed her trousers and slid them back on.

_Maybe I should leave a note? _On her way to the front door she noticed a pad of post-it notes by the fridge, scribbling out a quick note – _Sorry went home to sleep early, didn't want to wake you- Gail, _she paused for a moment before she decided and added; _x._

She picked up her helmet off the floor, slid on her boots, and pulled her jacket off the coat hooks. Just as she was opening the door she heard it- a slight groan. It could have been the wind coming from anywhere but the hair's on the back her neck suddenly stood up, goosebumps popped up across her arms.

Gail stood there waiting for another noise, closing her eyes she blocked out everything else. It could have been wind or even the door creaking- anything really. But then it happened again, it sounded more like a whimper. _Holly! _

She slammed the door shut, practically dropping her helmet on the counter top as she ran round the kitchen into the corridor. "Holly?!" There it was again, another groan or whimper, she sounded in pain she banged on the door, she paused she couldn't just barge in her room she needed a response "Holly!? Are you okay?" Another groan and the crash with the sound of breaking glass was all Gail needed.

She shoved the door open.

And there she was. There in the middle of the bed, Holly. Lying in a foetal position, the covers had been kicked off and were pooled at the bottom of her bed, the pillows were gone too, pushed off the edges. The crash must have been the lamp, which was now lying on the floor the broken glass of the light bulb surrounding it.

Holly who was shaking, rocking in an obviously disturbed sleep was covered in a sheen of sweat despite the lack of covers and the fact all she was wearing was a black loose cotton tank top and boy shorts. Even like this Gail noted the beauty of the doctor. Holly was flaying and whimpering still, it was just a bad dream. She knew the doctor had been having them, she had just never imagined them to this severity. The doctor flipped slightly, hitting her bedside cabinet again the glass of water on it shaking.

Gail finally acted, making her way to the bed and dropping the rest of her things, she reached out for the doctor. She tried to wake her soothingly but she was flaying so much that she hit Gail, a backhanded slap to her face. Grabbing her wrists, Gail pushed her way onto the edge of the bed wrapping the doctor's arms around her body practically embracing her and immobilizing her.

"Holly, Holly?" She kept her voice calm and soothing but there was urgency. The doctor was mumbling, her thrashing diminishing. "Come on Holly, wake up."  
"No… no… no…Gail…." Holly's words were quiet and mumbled but she knew what she had heard.  
"Holly I'm right here, come one sweetie wake up."

Holly's eyes scrunched as she shook her head, a few more mumbles escaped before she seemed to finally come back to present. Her eyes were blood shot when they opened, looking up to Gail, the tears were starting to escape. "Gail?" She sounded so fragile.

Gail felt broken at the sound of her own name, she let go the doctor's wrist and wrapped her up in her own arms. "It's okay Holly," She pulled her impossibly close. Hiding her own face behind Holly's scared of the fear and worry of her face would not serve to help calm the doctor. "It was just a dream."

The doctor was sobbing into Gail's shoulder, "But it wasn't… It was real."  
"Holly," her voice was full of sorrow, she didn't know what she could say to make it better. "I am so sorry. This is all my fault."

* * *

_"__Hello Ms. Peck."  
"Hi."  
"I am Detective Monroe with the Internal Investigations Division or IID, do you understand who I am and why I am here."_

_Gail looked up and studied the woman sat across from her, late 40s, long brown her in a neat high pulled back pony tail, minimal make up, no nail varnish, but eyebrows and cuticles in good condition. She cared about appearance but professionalism came first. No wedding ring, and no outline of one being worn, _married to the job?  
_"Yes."_

_"Good, I just want to reassure you that the purpose of today is just to go over the facts and information we have from the lead up and the event of the shooting in the morgue which resulted in the loss of Daniel Luschek, and two associates of the Devil's whores motorcycle club, Jo Bell and Katie Smith. Due to the nature of the shooting and the loss of life on both sides as well as the nature of the operation we need to check that everything was done down the book."  
Gail just nodded in response._

_The press were recovering from the initial shock of the incident and the operation and now they were looking to the police for answers. How had the shooting at the morgue resulted in three deaths, as well as the shooting of an undercover police officer? They wanted someone to blame, and this woman could sit here all day saying and explaining how this was just a way of crossing the t's and dotting the i's but Gail would never believe her._

_"Our questioning will be focusing on the events which occurred on the Tuesday 4th in the downtown morgue. Would you describe your recognition of events up to the event in question as clear? Please let the record show that Ms. Peck is nodding in the affirmative."_

_Gail sighed. "The day before the incident in the morgue you met with Detective Barber your superior and reporting officer on this operation?"_  
_"Yes." Gail liked one word answers. _  
_"Can you confirm the specifics of this meeting?"  
__"I asked for a meet a few days previous by our usual communication method, we set a meet for a bar the other side of town from the motorcycle club- Diva. The meet was set for 11pm on the 3__rd."_

_"Why did you request this meet?"  
"There had been a lot of talk within the club of a big move and shipment coming in, I had some intel I wanted to report and make sure that Jerry, Detective Barber, was available to collect any necessary evidence which would help in the overall operation." Gail had put all of this in her reports, this interview was becoming tedious.  
"Okay," She was scribbling down notes furiously. "Did you request surveillance for this shipment in your meeting?"  
"No." She tore her eyes up from her notepad._

_"__No?" She placed her pen down.  
"The shipment came in that morning. By the time I met with Detective Barber it had already happened."  
"This is the shipment detailed in the report you filled yesterday?"  
"Yes." It was a stupid question, Gail knew she had the report right in front of her._

_"What did you report to Detective Barber in this meeting?"_  
_"The specifics of the event that day at the docks, they can be seen in my report."_  
_"Word for word?"_  
_"No, but the facts remained unchanged just the adjectives differed." Gail's snark was coming out._

_Detective Monroe looked less than impressed, "Ms. Peck I would like to remind you that this interview is for your benefit and the benefit for this division" _Like Hell it is.

_"I arrived early at the bar. Waited for Jerry. He arrived. I told what had happened; the Cubans, the club members present, the containers, the women, the shooting, the dead girl. I told him everything in as much detail as I remember the same level of detail you will find in that report in front of you."_

_"What happened when you left bar?"_  
_"I went back to my apartment, Jo, Jo Bell, arrived early to get me, we got a call into the club. We went in and were told that the police had found the body. They wanted us to go get it back."_  
_"Get it back?"_  
_"Yes, to steal back the body. They thought if they had the body they would be able to make a case back to the club and their whole operation would be bought down."_

_"What time was this?"_  
_"Around 1 o'clock in the morning."_  
_"And the time of the raid on the morgue?"_  
_"Approximately 6.15."_  
_"And during the time in between?" The questions were becoming more frequent; they were leading to something._

_"__I stayed in the club house with the other preparing for the raid."  
"Did you try to contact Detective Barber during this time?"  
_"I…" This was not my fault_. "I had left my phone at my apartment so I couldn't get a text off. I tried to get to a phone but I was constantly surrounded by people."_

_"I see, and the events at the morgue to given in impeccable detail in your report which matches with Dr Stewart's report as well." _

Holly**_,_**_ she had only really met her properly the day before but already she felt like she was becoming an important person in her life. And what surprised her the most is that that didn't bother her._

_The detective was playing with some of her notes, "Ah yes, so I don't see a need to go over the details of the shooting however I do need to ask, were you drinking that day?"_  
_"What?"_  
_"Had you been drinking the morning of the shooting?"_  
_"No."_  
_"Ms. Peck although this is a briefing not a deposition what you say will become part of the record." Gail said nothing in response. "When you were admitted to the hospital a blood sample was taken, routine test took place and including a blood alcohol test…" She paused as if giving Gail a chance to speak. "You had alcohol in your system, not much but perhaps enough to impair your judgement."_

_"What? I…."_

The Jack and Jose,_ the memories of returning from the bar, getting drunk trying desperately to not picture that container and those poor women flooded back to her. "I had a few drinks when I got back from my meeting with Detective Barber."  
"A few drinks would not account for your blood alcohol reading."  
Gail glared at her, "I got drunk. Okay? I got back and wanted to not think anymore."_

_"So you admit to drinking on the day of the shootings?"_  
_"What no, I had a few drinks when I got back."_  
_"Which was in the early hours of the morning. So at approximately 6.15am there was still alcohol in your system." Her tone was had changed drastically from the beginning suddenly accusing, interrogating her, reprimanding._

_"I…It… it wasn't my fault, I couldn't do anything…"_  
_"Do you think that…"_  
_"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Jerry barged into the room. "This interview is over. If you want to try to place blame at the feet of an officer who did nothing but explanatory work you'll have to get through the entirety of this division first." He wrapped his hand around Gail's good arm, "Come on Gail, we're leaving."_

_"Ms. Peck I advice you to stay." The somewhat stern librarian tone was back._  
_"That's_

_**Officer** Peck to you." Jerry snapped back for her._

* * *

The words rang through her mind as she woke,_ 'Well that means its your fault we are here, and here is pretty good.' _

She knew exactly where she was this time and she felt more rested than she had in weeks. She was still wrapped up around Holly; they must have fallen asleep together after she had comforted the doctor.

It was still dark outside but the long winter night meant it could be any time. She rolled slightly to catch a glimpse of the clock it was flashing _07.24. _It must have been hit during Holly's dream and reset, if it was six and half hours since then that made it…. at least gone 9.30. _Shit._

As if on cue, Holly's phone started to ring, "Urrrgh…" She groaned obviously upset about being pulled from her peaceful slumber. "What time is it?"  
"I don't know," Gail's replied nervously suddenly very aware of how close they were, "the clock got rest must be gone half nine."  
"WHAT?!"

Suddenly the doctor was up, "Hello… Hello?" She was sputtering down the phone. "Yes, yes sorry…. Yes I just got delayed I'll be there in less than 30 minutes… straight to the crime scene?... Of course send me the address." She hung up and looked at Gail apologetically, "I have to go."

Gail was not a morning person, she was up if she had to be, and would love to moan about it, but Holly, she seemed to be doing pretty well. She was zooming around the room grabbing clothes, brushing her hair, her teeth, packing her bag. It seemed like only a few minutes had passed before she was back in front of the blonde looking like her normal nerdy self.

"I think you made me dizzy."  
"What?" An amused expression spread across her features.

"How can you move so fast in the morning…. Without coffee?!"  
"Ah… yes. I like mornings. Seize the day!" She did a little fist pump to herself, _could she be anymore nerdy? _"But I do have to go but you can stay! There's a key on the counter top," All the words came out so fast that Gail was still struggling to process them as the doctors lips briefly touched her own. "Oh, and help yourself to coffee if you need it," she added teasingly as she left leaving Gail at a loss for words.

_I think I'm starting to like mornings._

* * *

**Really found it difficult to find a place to cut this chapter, I hope it worked well in the end.  
This was a pretty Gail's-thought heavy chapter but I think there was a lot of development with Officer Lunchbox too.  
So- let me know what you think as always reviews are really appreciated. **


	16. Chapter 16- Melancholy

**I suck I know! I just started my job and had to move into a new room and I qualified as a rugby coach (woo)  
But still I should have updated sooner- so to attempt to make up for it, here's a nice long (well researched if I do say so myself) chapter!  
Enjoy- **

Chapter 16- Melancholy

* * *

_Today was going to be good, _she just had a feeling. She had woken with a text from Holly confirming their plans for the evening and she was looking forward to them. So much so that she found herself smiling at Andy McNally in the locker room before parade, who returned the smile and even risked a chirpy hello. Nash however was a bit more pragmatic, on seeing Gail she started to question her intentions and if she was about to find her locker had been rigged and she was about to be pranked, which only caused Gail to smile further and Nash to frown slightly.

"I like you Nash," Gail added.

"Hmm… did you hit your head this morning?" Nash shouted back to her as she left the locker room to get to morning parade.

The room was busier than normal, Best was stood in his usual spot at the front but next to him were several detectives including her brother Steve. She hadn't really spoken to him much in the last few weeks. Although leaving her with Holly when she was _slightly _inebriate had turned out okay, what if she had been a serial-killer-psycho? _She is a pathologist, she'd know how to get rid of the bodies. _And it wasn't the first time recently he had bailed.

She was one of the last people to get a seat, _see? Good day. _And as the last few stragglers made their way in standing at the back, Frank started.

"Morning everyone, as some of you have spotted Guns and Gangs are here with us today." Steve did a little dorky wave as Frank turned to introduce them.

It turns out that Guns and Gangs had been busy. Over night they had become aware of a feud brewing between one of Toronto's biggest gangs, MS-13 and had been out at two scenes both involving shootings and one resulting in a death. It was an internal beef, which might end in a change of leadership but would definitely result in violence. Frank wanted a big police presence on the streets,

"These guys operate 24/7 there is no working in the shadows and dark anymore, they do not fear us they do not respect and most of the people you will see and talk to today will hate you for what you represent. We need everyone out there today." He paused for a moment before locking eyes with Gail. "Peck, you're off desk, Caine you too…"

Gail tuned out for a second. _Wow. _She had been expecting a day in booking or on the front desk again, but this was it! Finally out and about in her uniform, _serve and protect. _With the way Shaw was looking at her and shooting her a thumbs up it was a safe bet to assume she was with him. He was sat back in his chair slightly slouched back next to Swarek working his way through a cheese puffs, _this seems like the start of a great working relationship. _

"Be seen and be safe. That's all people." Frank dismissed everyone.  
Gail jumped up quickly and fought the flow of people trying to exit. "Sir,… "  
"Peck, is everything okay?"  
"Yes Sir, I just… I haven't been cleared yet."  
"You passed your psych evaluation, you pass our fitness regulations and unless you don't feel ready for this I am happy to override the physio."

"You can do that?"  
"Only if I believe you are up to the job," He quirked an eyebrow.  
"I am Sir."  
"Good, because I think officer Shaw is waiting for you."

Sure enough Oliver was leaning against the door of the parade room tapping his watch dramatically.

The day with Oliver was turning out just as she suspected. He had drove and made her pay for lunch, _standard_. So far only a few Officers from 27 had seen any problems with the gang feud, having to break up a fight where two men where stabbed. So they just kept driving, they needed to be a deterrent today. _Be present, be visible. _

Gail should have known, she thought it was going to be a good day; of course she wouldn't be this lucky.

"Officers under fire, Dundas Street West and Scarlett road, requesting immediate backup to the Messina Bakery" The radio sounded out.

Oliver grabbed the handset, "15-07 responding, 2 minutes out"  
"Copy 15-07"

Oliver had the lights on and was flying towards the scene within seconds, he was a well-oiled machine, his actions almost muscle memory. Gail could only watch in awe. In the small amount of time they had spent together he had already won her respect. Slightly cynical, although who could blame him with all he has seen, good natured, slightly overly chatty but he never bugged her for a response, liked food so there was a winner, and he loved his job.

He had the potential to be much more than a TO she could tell when they met, he wasn't the detective type, not that he couldn't but if he had gone the white shirt route… She made a note to ask him about it later, right now she needed to focus.

They swept round the corner of the street pulling up alongside the other squad car, Epstein was crouched behind the boot, his gun drawn, he was signalling for them to get down, as they both got out the squad car quickly drawing their own weapons and positioning themselves behind the car's doors.

"Epstein where's Swarek?"  
"He ran off…" Dov was wheezy, more so than usual, the words sounded pained as if speaking took too much attention away from his breathing. "That way…. Said stay here… wait for backup."

Oliver reached to his radio, "This is 15-07 on scene," The sounds of gun fire rang out, Gail couldn't tell how many shoot or shooters she just knew it was bad. Everyone ducked a little bit lower, Gail risked a look as the shoots calmed.  
"Repeat 15-07" Oliver 's radio rang out.  
"15-07, under heavy fire requesting ETF backup, multiple shooters automatic weapons. Held up in Messina Bakery" Gail and Dov both just stared at him in awe, he was completely in his element. "Situational awareness kids, they don't teach you that in the academy."

She risked another glance over her door… there they were, the shooters grund floor of the bakery, looked to be at least 4 of them. There wasn't a car in front of the building, if they wanted to get away they would have to find a back way or risk a run.

"They're going to make a run for it." Oliver called, "If they come this way be ready."  
Gail's grip tightened around the handle of her gun.

* * *

_She was following Jo and Mason's bike, staying a fair distance back. She had seen Mason was packing before they left the bar and now being driven well out the city and into the woods she was being guarded.  
_  
They wouldn't have sent Jo. _Within the last few weeks of her recovery and her working in the garage and the bar she had befriended the small energetic woman, Mason however was another story._  
_  
If they knew she was a cop, they wouldn't kill her so obviously, they'd beat the living shit out of her,_ again. _And use it as a warning, but killing her, it would be too easily traced, _surely they wouldn't._ The doubt was still in her mind though and so she kept her distance, just watching them drive, an illusion of control like she could ride off if they turned into anywhere dodgy looking. An illusion because she knew she would follow them anyway._

_After about 20 minutes from leaving the city they were parking their bikes up in a small empty car park outside a forest._  
_"Jo bring that box won't you?" Pointing at the crate, which was strapped to the back of her bike. It was a fairly big box, like one of the ones that come into the bar full of beer bottles, _maybe it is beer, maybe we're camping...We're not camping.

_"Get Gail too," Jo whined as she picked it up anyway.  
"This is heavier, Gail…" She held out her rucksack, and true to her word it was heavy, Gail's 'noodle-arms' struggled to slug it over her shoulder._

_Jo had already set out ahead,_ she knows where she's going,_ whatever it was they were doing with her Jo must have done too. They hopped over a fence near the car park and walked across an open field to the other side, where Jo was already slumped against it._

"Well set up then!"  
"_Gimme a break woman," She started muttered to her self, "find a… and…jus… laid" She couldn't quite make it all out but she got the jist of it and so did Mason glared back._

_It was glass bottles! The crate was full of empty beer bottles and as Gail flung the rucksack onto the floor she opened it to find it full of cans, some already with holes in them. _

_"__Target practice?" It was asked more disbelief than for confirmation.  
"Yeah problem with that Blondie?"  
Gail didn't respond she kept her words scarce and her answer short and to the point. She might come across as a bit blunt and abrupt maybe even brisk but it means less chance to slip up._

_Mason went first, constantly looking over to Gail, as if instructing her on how to shoot correctly she made sure Gail was watching._

_And Gail was watching and noting. She saw the way the gun was slightly tilted in her grip, so as she squeezed the trigger she lost that inch of accuracy. She saw the way her weight wasn't distributed through her feet correctly forcing her to take the kick back through her upper body, she was a strong woman now but in a few years that wouldn't be good for her. She saw the way she naturally squinted as she found her target just before she shot. She saw a lot._

_Mason stopped after she emptied her second clip, Jo handed her a new magazine before scurrying off to the fence repositioning the cans and placing new bottles up. Two clips- 22 shots- 15 bottles and cans hit. It wasn't bad, probably better than most at the academy._ But not me.

_"You ever shot before?"  
"Yes."  
__"__Well that doesn't mean anything here." She stepped up to Gail, turning to hold the barrel of the gun she placed it out for Gail to take a hold of. "You don't get one of these until I say you know how to use one."_ A test.

_Gail felt the weight of the weapon, a QSZ-92 pistol, she had shot one before when she was 20. She had been in the ranges since 13, the earliest she could even at that age her mother had to pull some strings. She needed to be able to use a range of weapons effectively, under pressure and with accuracy otherwise you might as well be shooting blindly, that's what she had been taught._  
_  
This had a heavier kickback than the service weapon she had last shot, and its sights were notoriously off, Chinese made weapons know for jamming problems. She popped the magazine out, pulling back the slide to check the barrel,_ clear of any visible obstructions.

_She let go and pushed the magazine back in and raised the weapon. She was still stood shoulder to shoulder with Mason who had no intention of moving. Adopting the weaver stance__, helps with kickback and reduces your body as a target, she squeezed the trigger. Four shots rang out and all four of the bottles Jo had put up smashed._

_"WOW blondie where did that come off!" Jo was bouncing.  
"Don't get cocky. Do it again." Mason reminded her eerily of her mother._

_This time she emptied the clip, not missing a single can._

_"Cans don't move," _But people do._ End of Mason's sentence went unspoken.  
"They didn't move for you either." Gail took the clip out and handed the gun back to_ _Mason.  
"We done here?"_

_She just sighed, staring down at the gun, she was obviously looking forward to having the opportunity to tell Gail off or coach her in something. She didn't trust Gail and Gail knew it, she had asked Jo about it who had implied that she was like this with everyone but not quite this bad. Jo had tried to brush it off implying she was only being like that because of what happened the first time they met._

_"Come on Mason don't make her do it again! It will be depressing to watch her awesomeness in comparison to our… my," __Quick save, "**my** inadequacies."  
__"Yeah, we're done."_

* * *

She remembered when she used to like shooting, when it was one of the few enjoyable things, _skills, _her mother insisted she did. But in this moment it didn't feel enjoyable.

They were running, the fucking idiots were trying to run. Making their way to a black SUV it was to the left of the storefront they would have to come right in front of the squad cars to make it. Gail having made her way round to Dov's squad returned fire, they had been taking heavy fire for nearly 5 minutes. _ETF should be here by now._

Two had made there way out of the building and legging it, the rest were inside covering. If they got to the car they might be able to bring it round and get away. She ducked back behind the squad, changing her clip she was on her last one. She needed to save her shots.

Dov was fidgeting next to her, taking short shallow breaths, _is he okay…why do I care? _He was searching his pockets frantically.

"Get down!" Oliver called out. Another round of shots came piercing through the arm, the squad car sputtering at the bullets hit it, glass smashing everywhere.

Things suddenly seemed so slow for Gail. She bought her own head down as she looked over to Dov who was still sat up against the squad. _The Glass_, the bullets were at the window height, Dov head's height. She pushed herself using every muscle she could grabbing Dov with her arms, wrapping tightly around him as her shoulder connected with his stomach practically tackling to the ground.

Then as if someone had hit play again, back to real time. The glass feel down onto them as Gail pinned Dov to the floor. He was still wheezing, but it was worse now. Gail looked up at him, he looked like her was turning blue, _he can't breathe…. ASTHMA! _It all made sense. She bought herself up slightly on to her knees, she could hear Oliver shouting in the background over the sound of the gun fire but she ignored it.

"Dov where's your inhaler?!" She waited a second, "DOV! INHALER?"  
He was reaching for one of his pockets on his belt, but Gail beat him to it nearly ripping it open she found the inhaler and popped the cap and shoved it toward his face.

"Swarek!" Oliver was shouting, the gun fire had stopped and Gail's head shot up to see Swarek on the ground, gun drawn next to the black SUV.

She wasn't thinking, she just ran. She ran across the lot and slid to a stop beside Swarek.

"Swarek?! Sam are you alright?"

"I'm fine.. I'm fine they got me in the vest." _They!_  
Only one of the two men who had made the run to the car was down, perhaps dead. _Where is the other?_

**Bang**

* * *

It was meant to be a good day, and it had started off like it was. And the last two hours had destroyed it. She'd been shot at, she'd actually been shot it turned out although the bullet grazed her vest and barely fraying it as she had tackled Dov to the ground. And then to add insult to injury, Dov had saved her.

If he had been two seconds slower she'd be dead.

When ETF had turned up almost straight afterwards, neither of them had spoken about. They hadn't actually said a word to each other. Many cops would have felt bonded to the other person, '_partners for life' _type of thing, or at least gone for a drink to celebrate beating death. But not them.

It was only after the EMTs had cleared them both and they were both heading back into the station that Dov spoke.

"Gail… Thank you." There was so much sincerity. He looked into her eyes the whole time. And his eyes revealed so much sadness.

There was no snarky remark to make back, there was nothing she could say. She just nodded.

Eventually he turned and made his way into the bullpen, leaving her outside to compose her thoughts.

"GAIL!"  
"Steve? What…"

"Officer Peck."  
"Staff sergeant?" Gail was being bombarded.

"I am so sorry, I tried as long as I could!" Steve to continue before he was interrupted.  
"Detective Peck surely you have better places to be…"

She'd recognise that voice anywhere. The way it made every hair stand up on the back of her neck and shudder to involuntarily escape.

"…Officer Peck, Staff sergeant Best and myself require a word with you in private." Frank stood with his head down, he didn't require a word, he was being forced to have one.

She had two choices, remain professional follow orders and walk into the office she was being led to without another word or make a scene. She favoured the second option, call her mom out on all the shit she had caused her throughout her life but this was not the place.

"Of course superintendent."

They made their way into Frank's office. "Staff sergeant would you give us a minute."  
"Yes of course."

"Gail." She wanted her to speak, it was her way of permitting it, as if she needed her permission.  
"Are you here as my mother or my superintendent?" She bit back.  
"Both."

Gail shook her head truing to hold back her laugh. "You can't be both."

Her mother sighed angrily her body visibly stiffen. "Gail. You didn't tell us. None of us, do you have any idea how much trouble your father and I got into? And you brother was worried sick. Over 9 months with no word."  
"I couldn't tell you."  
"We are a police family Gail, we are the Pecks, we know when to keep our mouths' shut."

Gail could have told them, Jerry even gave her the choice. But she chosen not too, she didn't want to tell them, it was her own personal pay back. It was a police operation, a well-publicised police operation one which would affect Gail's career for years to come. One if under any different circumstances her mother might even be proud of. It was the best way of doing it, a big fuck you to her mother as well as doing exactly what her mother had wanted her to do, further her career.

"Is this why you are her mother?"

"The gang shooting today, I needed to come down and speak to Staff Sergeant Best. Your brother has been trying to keep me away since you returned this was a good opportunity to see you." _Steve? _"Despite what you might think of your father and I we do care for you and your brother. And… and I am glad you are okay."

Gail couldn't respond, this was it. This was the closest thing she would ever get to praise from her mother.

"It must be near the end of your shift?"  
"It is."  
"Your paperwork will be best left until tomorrow. You should go, I can speak to the Staff Sergeant alone."  
"Thank you." She turned to leave.

"Gail, dinner is still at 8 on Sundays if you are not working it would be…"  
"I'll be there."  
"Thank you."

The cold metal of the her locker felt good against her head. She started to strip off her uniform, before remembering her phone in her utility belt.

_5 New messages from Dr Nerd._

_Shit. _Holly must have heard about the shooting, she checked the time, they were meant to be meeting in less than 10minutes.

_Hey, I'm bored, all day writing reports, entertain me? Please… x_

_Okay so I just saw the news, gang fued?! Be safe. x_

_Okay now there's been a major shoot out with four officers from 15 taking heavy fire, are you okay? x_

And one of the officers was shot! Gail?

_You're making me worry! Please reply x_

Her phone buzzed as she read the last message

_Well now I just feel silly… _

"What…" Gail mumbled to herself. And there she was, stood by the door to the changing rooms leaning slightly on the frame, lopsided grin spreading across her face. And all of Gail's worries, all the weight of the day just disappeared.

* * *

She put her phone back in her pocket, she knew she was smiling she couldn't help it. She had been worrying all day and upon seeing the blonde there, in one piece she felt the relief spread through her body.

"Hi…" The blonde started.  
"Hey."  
"Hi."  
"You said that already."  
"I knew it sounded familiar, why… why are you here?"

She knew the question was coming and she wasn't hundred percent sure why she was, "I don't really know, I guess I was worried."  
"You guess huh? Thought scientists didn't guess, they theorised."

Holly quirked an eyebrow, even after what she was sure a hell of a day for Gail she was still teasing her. "Do you want to get out of here?"  
"Yes." Gail practically sung it out, "Just let me get changed."  
"Yeah sure…"

Holly wasn't sure what to do, did she leave or turn around or just stay there and watch? Their, _relationship?, _was going well, a few very heated kisses and they had most definitely clarified that they both wanted each other. Eventually she would see Gail sans clothing so she shouldn't feel guilty about looking now, _right… _

She didn't have long to think as Gail threw her shirt off pulling the black tank top over her head quickly afterwards. Her pale skin was breathe-taking , Holly's mouth went dry. Her bright blue bra, which matched her eyes, contrasted perfectly with her skin. Holly could picture her hands all over the vast expanse of Gail's tone stomach, her lips tasting all of it, _shit, stop daydreaming. _

Trying to keep her thoughts clean, she started looking for anything else in the room to look at and internally started rattling off the at periodic table.

"You alright nerd?"  
"What…" Gail was changed, in her usual leather jacket, a tight black guns n' roses t-shirt and a pair of tight fitting dark wash jeans, _even with clothing on she looked just as stunning,_ "Damn…" Gail was laughing, "I said that out loud didn't I?"

Gail smirked and leaned into Holly her lips practically touching her ear as she whispered. "Yes, and I think its time you took me home now nerd."

* * *

** FYI the "boot" of a car is the "trunk"**  
**I've been trying to write in Canada/US friendly way as that's my main readers but I couldn't do this one. It's a boot.**

**Also MS-13 are a real gang mainly based in California but with affiliations in Toronto and Dundas St. W. and Scarlett Rd. is where something happened between the police and them so I pretended for now that it was 15****th's patrol area, learn something new everyday right!**

**Anyway I do apologise for the length in between updates I'll try to be better this week. Reviews as always are really appreciated!**

**Guest (not sure who you were) but i miss Jo too!**  
**Jskippy- Perhaps pinning something... But with Holly as a witness I think it would be hard to write in.**  
**paulinemcc- thank you as always!**


	17. Chapter 17- Actions

**A couple of people now have mentioned Holly noticing Jerry in the Gay bar- I was aware of this and will be addressed in a Holly flashback I was saving but it goes in well here! So ta dah.  
And again I know I suck, I am trying to update more… But I need to work on my time management.  
Thoughts as always are really appreciated!**

**ALSO- Anyone watch the latest rookie blue, Gail talking about being melancholy! My previous chapter name- feel weirdly physic **

Chapter 17- Actions

* * *

They got into Holly's car without saying anything, a silent agreement passing between them. Gail didn't think twice about leaving her bike at the station, she knew it would be safe and if Holly couldn't bring her back in the morning she could always ring Chris for a lift or even just call a cab. She didn't overthink it her mind was elsewhere.

"Hey do you want to pick up some food on the way back?" Holly finally spoke, and added very cheerily, "Ooooor I can cook?"  
"You can cook?" It didn't surprise her, she was starting to think there wasn't anything the brunette couldn't do.  
"Yeah," She smiled. "What do you fancy?"  
"Surprise me." She challenged.

Holly didn't ask her about the day, for which she was thankful. When they got into Holly's apartment, was instructed to go shower as she started dinner. Without even trying Holly had treated Gail kinder than any other person she knew.

Holly's bathroom was lovely, the shower was set over a freestanding cast iron bath. The wide showerhead stood tall over the bath with a surprisingly good water pressure. The droplets fell all around her, shutting off the outside world. Everything about today she just wanted to forget. Too many memories of the last year were coming back to her. She focused, trying to clear her mind.

When she finally left the bathroom she found a little pile of clothing- flannel sweatpants and a loose fitting worn t-shirt 'Medicine- University of Toronto' faded on the front. She picked up the clothes and made her way in Holly's bedroom to change.

The bedroom was just liked she had imagined. The bed was centred on the back wall, a large thick oak base with a tall head board, topped with warm maroon covers and a mix match of cushions and pillow, there was a shattering of blankets thrown over one of the corners and the bedside cabinets on both sides were over flowing with pictures and books. There was a small dressing table by the window, a little mirrow and some make up atop it and more pictures. The warboard was built into the wall nearest the door, oak sliding door infront. The whole room felt like Holly, warm and cosy and loving.

She was a cop, that was what she kept telling herself as she snooped. _It's a natural curiousity. _

There was a mixture of art and photos up on the walls, one of the frames was crammed filled with a mixture of home photos. There was Holly as a teenager with what must be her family they looked so similar. They all had the same smile, the one Gail was starting to fall for.

_Such a nerd, _amongst the photos there was one of Holly, probably no older than 7, in a lab coat her hair tied back into a tight pony tail, her glasses slightly too big for her small face, and holding a clip board almost as big as her. And behind her was a lot of lab equipment and a big blue ribbon with #1 on it.

"Shit! Sorry" Holly shouted as she spotted her, towel clad snopping in her room.  
"What? No! Holly its fine," The brunette stopped halfway back out the door she just came through. "I'm the one snooping in _your _room."  
"That is true. Are the clothes okay?" Holly asked with the slightest blush, Gail didn't miss the way her eyes had darkened and kept flicking down to the low cut off of her towel.  
"Yeah thanks," She couldn't help herself, she wanted to tease the usually so composed bruneete.

She put the clothes on the bed, and started to tug on the towel. The tie she had made came undone and she held it against herself, resisting the urge to turn to see the doctor and the effect she may be having.  
"I… erm…"

She opened the towel up, she knew from the angle Holly was stood she wouldn't actually be able to see anything but the next step would actually involve dropping the towel, the towel which she was slowly bringing down the her back.

"I… errr…din…" there was a bang as Holly scurried out of the room. Gail found it hard to maintain her laugh. "Dinner….yeah"

Gail changed fairly quickly after that and made her way back to the kitchen were Holly was stood over her oven."Hey."  
"Oh hey!" Holly was still obviously a little flustered and its cuased Gail to grin to which the doctor frowned. "Don't get cocky."

Gail couldn't hold the laugh this time, she made the way to the fridge and grabbed out a beer before sitting on the kitchen island near to Holly.  
"So whats for dinner?" She asked before taking a long gulp of beer.  
"Orange glazed duck with a port gravy."  
"Huh?" Gail's jaw had dropped a bit.  
"What?" Holly seemed so concerned so quickly, "Do you not like duck? I can make something else"

"NO!" Gail interrupted. "No, I mean no don't make anything else. The duck sounds lovely I just… that sounds really nice."  
"Oh… good." The brunette let out a small sigh.  
"do you need any help?"  
"Er, well the food is nearly ready but you can set the table? Plate are in that cupboard."  
"Awesome," She slid off the kitchen counter and gave a quick peck to Holly's cheek before grabbing the plates, not missing the smile which quickly spread across her face.

A few minutes later Holly set the food down on the table, "tadah!"  
"hmmm… With mash you need gravy."  
"ha, how did I know you would say that," She placed a little gravy boat down on the table. "Red onion, wine and a little duck fat gravy."  
"Mmm" Gail practically moaned as she smelt the gravy. Holly almost choked, she didn't even have any food in her mouth yet her fork was half way to it. "It smells amazing." Gail added, another grin tugging at her lips.

"Good," She recovered quickly. "Dig in."  
They ate in near silence, mainly because Gail couldn't seem to form words over the sounds of her own moans. The food was amazing.  
"Holly this is… aa-maaaaz-ing. You are cooking for me from now on.  
"From now on huh?"  
"Well yeah, what good is an old lady if she doesn't cook for her woman?"

Holly's laughed filled the room; it was an infectious noise. Gail would never tire of that sound. And she was sure there were other sounds she would never tire of too. They started to clear the plates and Gail went straight to the sink to start on the washing up. Once the sink was full and overflowing with bubbles Holly came up behind her. Her heart rate shot up a bit at the proximity. She could fell Holly's hot breathe against her neck as she leant further in. Her eyes fluttered shut on their own accord.

She loved the way Holly felt so close to her, she wanted to give herself completely to the other woman. Then the next thing she knew, she was wet, _not that kind of wet. _There was a handful of bubbles dripping from her hair down her face.

She turned around quickly to see Holly biting her bottom lip fighting her laugh as her shoulders bopped up and down. "You… I can't believe you just did that." She quickly dipped her own had behind her gather a large handful of bubbles. Holly finally let the laugh out as Gail started towards her. Chasing her round the island she finally caught her by the arm, and spun her round. Their momentums carried them towards each other. Gail's hand planted itself on Holly's chest, the bubbles started to disappear as Gail's hand remained. Her hand was burning, the feel of Holly's chest, _Holly's soppy wet smooth sexy chest just above her ample breasts…. _She was staring now, her hand made its way lower. She flicked her eyes up to see Holly looking straight at her, licking her parted lips.

Holly's hand made its way to Gail's hip, pulling her impossibly closer so that there bodies were flush against each other. Their breathing was heavy, Gail could feel her heart pounding against her chest. Her other hand made it's way to Gail's neck, pulling her in slowly, finally closing all the space between them.

* * *

_The station was in full swing. There was a buzz to how it operated, not just the people talking or the phones ringing but the atmosphere, it was so different from her own lab and the silence she usually found so comforting. _

_It had been nearly two weeks since the shooting and soon she would be returning to the morgue. It would have scared her a few days ago, but since meeting Gail properly yesterday everything made more sense. The therapy was helping too. She knew even before she went that she did the right thing, but it was still a lot to process. _

_She searched around the station for Jerry, after a few moments she decided to just head to his office. Knocking a few times she heard a muffled response. _

_"__Jerry?" she asked tentatively as she started to push the door open before it was pulled open completely and Officer Nash quickly ran out of the room. "Oh!" _

_"__Dr Steward." Nash quickly added as she hurried down the corridor. _

_Holly turned back to see Jerry fussing over his shirt, "Sorry."_

_"What… no… that…" Holly just raised an eyebrow at Jerry's failing attempt at covering the situation up. "Yeah… I'm sorry. You here for the debrief?"_

_"__Yeah, got a phone call this morning asking if I could come in. Are you doing it?"  
"No, no I can't as it was a division operation it could be unethical if I ran the reports."_

_"__They think you'll make yourself look too awesome?" Holly was joking but she could see how Jerry was most definitely not laughing._

_"__Yeah something like that. I'll take you to where the debrief is."_

_"__Ah here we go, __Detective Monroe this is Dr Holly Stewart." Jerry introduced her to a stern looking woman. _

_"__Hello Dr Stewart." She put her hand out to shake and Holly took it with a firm grip. _

_"__Detective Monroe."_

_"__Are you ready now?"_

_"__Yes of course," Holly nodded and turned slightly to face Jerry. _

_"__I'll be around later if you want to talk."_

_"__Thanks Jerry."_

_Holly made her way into the small interview room and sat down opposite detective Monroe.  
"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today Dr Stewart."_

_"__Of course."_

_ "__I would like to go over the events on the morning of Tuesday 4__th__. I have read your intial report, made with Officer Nash, however it was made after a large trauma if you need to change anything or have remembered anything in more detail I encourage you to say it now."_

_"__Right… yeah of course. I guess I was a bit flustered after." Holly started, Detective Monroe picked up her pen and nodded at her to continue. "Right… It was my first solo case I was working, the body had come in late the night before. The body was transported to the morgue after the scene was processed and I left the autopsy for the next morning. I arrived at the lab just gone 6."_

_"__Could you be more specific?"_

_"__Err not for certain, probably around 6.10, I spoke to Danny the guard when I arrived. Then went to my lab, set it up got everything in its right place for the autopsy. I was going to wait for Jerry before starting."_

_"__Detective Barber?"_

_"__Yes, Detective Barber, so I started to read over the evidence notes when everything happened. The lights went out, it was just gone 6.25. I thought maybe it was just the fuse or the bulb so I got a chair and tired to fix it. Shortly after the door to the morgue opened, I assumed it was Danny but it was two women."_

_"__Ms. Jo Bell and Ms. Gail Peck." It wasn't a question just her adding the detail for the record. _

_"__Jo… yeah Jo drew her gun and started shouting about where the body was, Gail" _Gail… _"Gail stepped in, she pushed Jo's gun down and calmly asked where the body was we had found the day before. That's when there were two gun shots," Holly paused for a moment she had been trying not to think about Danny, she hardly knew anything about his life, but he had always been so friendly. _

_"__Are you okay to continue?"_

_"__I… yes sorry… yeah…" She cleared her throat before going on, "I tried to make a run after the shot, but the woman, Jo, grabbed me and threw me to the floor, I thought she was going to shot me, she was clearly unstable. I told them where the body was and that's when the third one entered."_

_"__Ms Katie Smith." Detective Monroe inputed again._

_"__She seemed to be leading it," Holly could see the whole thing replaying in her head. She had been much calmer than the smaller woman, her gun didn't shake and there was a blankness in her eye's that Holly would never forget- _that woman would have shot me and not felt bad about it for one second. _"Gail told them that I was the pathologist and when they got the body, the leader, Katie Smith raised her gun again. And then a gun shot, I thought it was me, but I was fine. Gail had shot her, she had saved me."_

_"__Ms Gail Peck shot Ms Katie Smith?"_

_"__Yes."_

_"__And you believe if she had not shot her then you would have been shot?"_

_"__Yes." Holly was starting to get irritated. What was this woman trying to insinuate. _

_"__Okay, please continue."_

_"__Right… Then she tried to talk to Jo, but she shot her, twice, she started pacing she was becoming really erratic, starting hitting Gail, she was going to kill her. So I, I picked up the gun on the floor and I shot her." Holly finished and let out a breathe she didn't know she was holding in, glad to have got it all out. _

_Detective Monroe continued to right some more notes before she finally looked up. "Thank you Dr Stewart for that I know it must be hard to talk about. And I would like to apologise on behalf of the force that you were put in a situation such as that."_

_"__Thanks…" _I guess…

_"__I have a few more questions for you and then should be all."_

_"__Okay great."_

_"__You said the call for the body came in the night before the shooting, Monday 3__rd__, where were you at the time?"_

_"__I… I was out with friends celebrating my first solo case, even a body hadn't come in yet, It was a promotion of sorts."_

_"__And were you drinking during this celebration?"_

_Holly could feel herself go on the defensive, "I had one drink, I was aware I was on call, by the time the phone call came in and the time I made it to the scene that alcohol was well out of my system."_

_"__Okay," She made a few more notes. "Where were you for this celebration?"  
"I went for dinner and then a bar."_

_"__Which bar?"_

_"__Diva." _

_"__The lesbian bar?"_

_"__Yes…. I'm gay."_

_"__I know. It's in your personal file."_

_"__You've read my personal file?"_

_"__I have. Were you aware that Ms Peck and Detective Barber were also at this bar on Monday 3__rd__."_

_"__I…I saw Gail, well I bumped into her when I came out of the toilets. I wasn't sure about Jerry, I thought I may have seen him but it was a gay bar, and I don't know I never got that vibe from him, you know?" She looked up to Detective Monroe who didn't seem to appreciate her insight into Jerry's sexuality. _

_"__You spoke with Ms Peck? Why did you not mention this in your report?"_

_"__I… I don't know. I just didn't."_

_"__Was this the first time you had met with Ms Peck?"_

_"__Yes."_

_"__And you were not engaged in any sort of relationship with Ms Peck."_

_"__No!"_

_"__And now?"_

_"__No."_

_"__You were seen taking Ms Peck out of bar… The penny, two nights ago. Would you like to revise your answer?"_

_"__What!? No. I went to talk to her. To thank her!" Holly had had enough. "Is this over, can I leave?" She asked as she already stood making her way to the door. _

_"__Dr Stewart, these are the types of questions you will here in court, you need to be ready for this. It was your first case and you knew one of the people involved in the shooting. You need to keep your story straight and clean cut." There seemed to be some geninue concern in her voice but she was such a stern woman it was hard to tell. _

_"__Thank you Detective Monroe, I will bare that in mind." Her manners kicked in before she fled the room searching for Jerry._

* * *

**Shorter chapter I know, but the next bit of this might be getting a bit 'hotter' and I would like opinions. Would you like it to be just something that happens and its brushed over, or part of the chapter and go for it.  
So let me know. As always reviews are REALLY appreciated. :) **


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